Unprecedented Turnabout
by seastone130
Summary: Reposted and rewritten! Maya has noticed something strange about Phoenix. With the help of her friends, both old and new, she vows to get to the bottom of his behavior... as well as that of Miles Edgeworth. Narumitsu Phoenix/Edgeworth
1. Chapter 1

Hello again! I have rewritten my story, and am now posting it back up! I would like to thank everyone for their support, and whoever left a review pointing out my medical inaccuracies: Thank you very much. Those chapters are now very different. I didn't really see anything wrong with this chapter, so I left it as is.

One thing. I hate to beg, but please please please review! I had so many reviews; it was a shame to delete them. Besides, would a reread really hurt? ;)

Unprecedented Turnabout

Chapter 1

March 4

11:30 P.M.

Maya Fey's House

Maya Fey had a lot on her mind.

It wasn't just the latest case, one that had kept them up late for two days. It wasn't even Pearl, who had fallen into her care after her aunt's incarceration. No, Maya was thinking about something different.

There was something… different about Nick. Not necessarily bad, just… puzzling. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but at certain times, he seemed almost…

The spirit medium put her face in her hands, not able to describe the emotion Nick gave off. A slight tug on her sleeve caused her to look into the large, innocent eyes of her cousin.  
"It's okay, Pearly. I'm just... thinking."

Pearl frowned slightly.

"You've been thinking for an awfully long time, Mystic Maya," she said, not unkindly. "Are you sure you're all right?"

Maya smiled and tugged at a loose strand of Pearl's hair.

"Yeah. I suppose it's time we get to sleep," she observed, looking at the digital clock in the living room of their small house. "It's almost midnight, and Nick's got a trial tomorrow. We should make sure we're there to support him." Pearl smiled shyly from behind her hands.

"Are you going to give him a kiss for good luck?" she giggled.

"No!" Maya threw a pillow at the young girl. "I told you, it's not like that. Now come on. I'm getting tired, and I don't want to fall asleep while celebrating Nick's victory tomorrow."

March 5

9:00 A.M.

Defense Lobby

Phoenix Wright lounged on a bench in the lobby, waiting for the bailiffs to let him into the courtroom. This case had been a bitch, and he was glad to be wrapping it up. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, worn out from the past couple of days.

"Niiiiick!" cried a familiar voice. He opened his eyes groggily to see his assistant shaking him by the shoulders. "You can't fall asleep now! You're supposed to be alert! This guy's life is on the line!"

"You really should be more careful, Mr. Nick," another voice admonished him.

"I wasn't sleeping!" he bristled indignantly. "I just - "

Maya sighed.

"Save it for later, Nick. We need to get ready for the trial!" she exclaimed, dragging him to his feet. "Edgeworth won't go easy on you just because you're sleepy!" She stared at him, then chuckled. "Did you even brush your hair this morning, Nick?"

Phoenix's eyes widened as he realized how he must look. After he woke up, he had just thrown on a random suit and burst out the door, a toothbrush clenched between his teeth. A sheepish grin flickered across his face.

"Heh, not really."

Maya rolled her eyes.

"Pearly, can you find someone who will loan Nick a hairbrush? He can't appear in court like that!"

Pearl nodded eagerly and dashed off. She was so busy looking left and right that she didn't notice the tall figure in front of her. Before she knew it, she was on the floor, rubbing her aching head.

"Oww..." She looked up at the obstacle blocking her path, and saw another familiar face, wearing a familiar magenta suit. "Oh, Mr. Edgeworth!" she gasped. "I'm very sorry, sir - "

The corners of Edgeworth's mouth turned up slightly, and he bent down to offer her a hand. She tentatively took it to pull herself up. "Th-thank you, sir."

"It's nothing," he replied, looking away. "Did you need something, little girl?"

She squinted, trying to remember.

"Umm... a hairbrush! Mr. Nick needs it really badly. His hair looks like he got electer-cuted."

The prosecutor smirked slightly.

"Does it now? Why am I not surprised?" He began to stride in the direction of the defense lobby, Pearl following him.

'_I never knew he was such a gentleman,'_ she thought. _'That was nice of him to help me...'_ As the two approached Phoenix, Maya, and the client, Edgeworth began to snicker slightly. The sight of Wright frantically patting down his hair was too good to miss.

"Water! I need water!" the defense attorney panicked, hoping that it would help him look more presentable. He turned to see Pearl, who waved happily, and the last person he wanted to see at the current time: Miles Edgeworth, who had his infamous smirk plastered on his face.

"I think a hairbrush will suffice, Wright, desperate though your plight is," he commented, pulling something out of his briefcase and handing it to Phoenix. Quickly trying to regain a shred of dignity, Phoenix looked at the brush briefly, then sighed.

"Pink."

"Magenta, Wright."

"Same thing," Phoenix muttered, pulling the brush through the tangled mess of black hair. It was soon back to its familiar spiky style. "Thanks," he said, a bit embarrassed. He handed the item of questionable color back to its owner.

"Anytime. You'll be needing it again, I presume." Phoenix fumed slightly at the comment, then smiled weakly.

"It's possible. A small price to pay," he stated, as his smile gained confidence, "for the "not guilty" verdict today."

"You only wish. I'll see you in court, Wright." Edgeworth turned away and walked to the prosecution's lobby.

"Aargh," Phoenix moaned, once he was out of earshot. "Why him?"

"He's got a point," Maya remarked. "Why did you go to Mr. Edgeworth, of all people, for a hairbrush, Pearly?"

"I - I ran into him in the hall, and I told him that you needed a hairbrush, Mr. Nick." She nervously chewed on her thumbnail. "Are you... mad at me?"

"No, of course not!" Phoenix hastily assured her. "It's just - I knew he would make fun of me if he saw me like that, that's all."

Maya frowned thoughtfully.

"And you care about what Mr. Edgeworth thinks?"

"O-of course I don't!" Phoenix stuttered, his wide blue eyes giving away his lie.

"Hmm." 'Nick is acting strange again. I wonder what's up?'

"Mr. Edgeworth sure is nice," Pearl continued, happy now that Mr. Nick wasn't mad at her. "When I fell, he helped me up right away!"

"Did he?" Maya smiled. "That really _was_ nice of him! Don't you think so, Nick?

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Phoenix had been deep in thought. He addressed the client briefly, then turned to Maya. "It's almost time to start. Let's review the case a bit before we go in..."

'_He sure changed the subject quickly,'_ Maya mused, but left it at that.

March 6

12:00 P.M.

Burger Joint

"I don't see why we couldn't get burgers yesterday, Nick. We always get them right after a trial," Maya complained, in between bouts of stuffing her face with food.

"Could you at least wait until we get our stuff before you eat?" sighed Phoenix in exasperation. "We couldn't get them yesterday because I had a dentist appointment, and I had to shop for something to put in my refrigerator. Then you made me clean my house, remember? I believe your exact words were, 'Do you _want_ the Health Department to evict the entire neighborhood?'"

"We could have gotten burgers anyway! I don't see what's wrong with having a good hamburger for a midnight snack!"

As the two continued to bicker, Pearl spotted a flash of gray passing by the window. She scooted out of the booth and slipped outside, unnoticed by her two companions. Once outside, she paused, then spotted her target.

"Mr. Edgeworth!" she cried, dashing toward him. He turned around and looked at her as she panted slightly. The young spirit medium noticed that he was wearing a black coat, along with his usual magenta suit. His gray eyes looked into her own.

"Does Wright require the use of my hairbrush again?" he asked sardonically."N-no, sir! I-I'm sorry to bother you, Mr. Edgeworth!" She felt slightly intimidated, but remembered his kind gesture in the hall the day before. Pearl straightened her shoulders.

"I wanted to thank you for helping us out yesterday..." she faltered slightly. _'He may be nice, but he's also kind of scary...'_

"No thanks are needed. Is that all?" Edgeworth inquired.

Pearl took a deep breath.

"Um, I was wondering... we're having burgers and I wanted to know if you would like to join us and thank you for helping me up yesterday that was very... very... coort-eeus... of you," she let out, without taking a breath. _'I hope I used that word right... Mystic Maya has been trying to teach me new words...'_

Edgeworth sighed.

"As I stated yesterday, it was nothing. I thank you for your kind offer, but I am afraid that I must decline. I hardly have time to socialize."

"Oh." Pearl was a bit disappointed, but then something occurred to her. "But... isn't it Saturday, Mr. Edgeworth? And don't worry, Mr. Nick's paying."

He stared at her for a moment, then chuckled.

"I suppose I could, for a few minutes. Let's go, little girl." He began to walk towards the door, but Pearl stopped him.

"It's - Pearl, sir. Pearl Fey."

"Okay, then. Pearl."

They walked back to the burger shop together.


	2. Chapter 2

Made some minor changes in this one. I am a bit confused. People were saying that they liked the new Chapter 1 much better than the old one... but it was the SAME EXACT CHAPTER. Huh.

Ugh, finals. Finished biology, world geography, P.E, and Spanish... just math and English left. No final for band, because my teacher is lazy. (I never want to see him wear shorts again... -shudders-) Not to mention my stalker ex-boyfriend, who's constantly telling my friends what a bitch I am and how he's going to commit suicide on my birthday. How lovely.

All right. Thanks for all of the lovely reviews. I've been trying to juggle my time with this, and I want to acknowledge your support throughout this whole thing. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

By the way, floofehone and simimaelian did fanart for me. -squeals- Unfortunately, doesn't allow links, so I'll just give a general description.

Chapter 1 hairbrush dialogue thing (it's a close-up Miles and Phoenix): simimaelian.deviantart

Chapter 15 trial comic thing (featuring Maya, Larry, Phoenix, and Miles): Um, go to community.livejournal/narumitsu... it should still be on the front page, but if not, click "Previous 20".

Again, enjoy!

Chapter 2

March 6

12:05 P.M.

Burger Joint

As Pearl and Edgeworth entered the restaurant, the aforementioned prosecutor sighed slightly. He didn't know why he was doing this, and with Wright, of all people. The only one who had ever defeated him in court. Not that he cared as much about winning. His abrupt departure a year ago had been good for him, and he had learned much about himself.

Maya paused in her eating as the two approached the booth. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she started poking Phoenix insistently. As he turned around, rubbing his shoulder, Pearl noticed a strange flash of... something in his eyes, which was quickly disguised by a mix of irritation and friendliness.

"Edgeworth! What are you - " He was cut off by Edgeworth's raised hand.

"Calm down, Wright. I was invited by this young lady here, and I might as well enjoy a free meal on your tab."

"Hey, what?!" Phoenix cried, but Edgeworth had already squeezed his way into the small booth, followed by Pearl. Sandwiched between a ravenous Maya and a smirking Edgeworth, Phoenix had to admit to himself that this was not the best of days.

"Don't look so dismayed, Wright," commented Edgeworth, helping himself to a French fry from the heaping plate. "If you are truly approaching bankruptcy, then I suppose I could allow you to mow my front lawn once in a while. It's common for those in need of money to do such things."

Phoenix would have slammed a hand on the table, but his arms were pinned to his sides.

"Don't say it like you're offering me a big favor, Edgeworth. It's not like I have to borrow money from the bank to pay for a meal."

Maya paused again, cheeks bulging.

"But Nick, didn't you say - "

"That's enough out of you!" Phoenix interrupted hastily. Edgeworth raised an eyebrow delicately, but abstained from commenting. Interactions with Phoenix Wright never failed to amuse him. Lately, he had been spending more time with his old friend than he used to, strange though it was to him. Shaking the thought out of his head, he finished eating his lunch and dabbed his mouth with a napkin.

"Well, Wright, as enjoyable as your company is, I have other things to do, and I must be off." Pearl slid out of her seat to let him pass, and he gave a slight wave as he walked out the door. Maya and Phoenix stared after him.

"Did he just say that your company was... enjoyable?"

"Yeah, I think so," Phoenix replied, a bit dazed. He couldn't help but swell a bit at the compliment, even though Edgeworth was probably being sarcastic, or else beating his head on the wall for letting something like that slip. Maybe their friendship _could_ be salvaged...

Maya shoved the last bit of burger into her mouth.

"Oh! I forgot to invite Mr. Edgeworth to my nineteenth birthday celebration! I knew there was somebody I had left off the list! Can we go over to his house, Nick? Pleeeeeeeease?" She looked at her friend with large, innocent eyes and pouted slightly. Pearl smiled at her cousin's behavior.

"I suppose," Phoenix gave in with a sigh.

March 6

1:00 P.M.

Miles Edgeworth's House

Edgeworth stared at the company assembled on his doorstep.

"One would think that you desired to remain in my company, Wright. Unfortunately, I must ask that you leave. I am a bit busy."

Phoenix flushed slightly, while Maya smiled cheerfully.

"Mr. Edgeworth, it's not like that! I just wanted to ask you if you would come to my birthday celebration next Saturday. Although I'm sure Nick wouldn't mind spending time with you, either. You're his friend, after all. Right, Pearly?"

Pearl nodded solemnly.

"He was very upset while you were gone, Mr. Edgeworth," she affirmed. Phoenix clapped his hands over their mouths, very red in the face.

"So, um, that's all we wanted to know," he chuckled, embarrassed.

"Hmm." Miles Edgeworth was, for once, at a loss. He was not accustomed to social gatherings, and to think that he had been willingly invited... it was strange, to say the least. Not to mention Pearl's comment...

"I suppose I could stop by," he decided. "I don't believe I have any prior engagements. Just promise me that if Larry was invited, tell him to refrain from bringing that cheap alcohol of his. We don't need everyone getting drunk... least of all you, Wright."

"Can we please let that incident drop?" Phoenix muttered.

"When it makes for such good conversation? Please, Wright. Unless you outdo yourself, which you undoubtedly will, I hardly believe that anyone will let that memory slip."

"Gaah..." Phoenix, now completely humiliated, clenched his hands in his hair. Why must Edgeworth have such biting wit, while he, Phoenix Wright, tended to scrabble frantically for a comeback? Glaring at the other man only made him chuckle.

"Well, I suppose I shall be seeing you around, Wright. If you wish to visit any further, it will have to wait until Monday. Be sure to let me know it you are in need of a hairbrush." With those parting words, Edgeworth closed the door. Maya and Pearl looked up at Phoenix, curious about the incident that Edgeworth had spoken of, but they sensed that now was not the best time to bring that subject up.

March 8

3:00 P.M.

High Prosecutor's Office

"Here." Phoenix dropped a thick stack of files on his friend's desk. "You told me to bring these over. Mission accomplished."

Edgeworth, needless to say, was a bit surprised at Wright's abrupt intrusion, but he quickly composed himself.

"I could say more for the presentation, Wright."

"Ah, be quiet. At least I brought them on time. Anything else you need while I'm running around?"

"No, that will do," replied Edgeworth. "My thanks."

They were interrupted by a tentative knock at the door. Maya rushed over to answer it.

"Mr. Edgeworth?" A girl with a white jacket, white sunglasses with unusually pink lenses, and a large shoulder bag strode into the room purposefully. "Lana wants to ask you if - oh, sorry. I'll come back later."

"No, that's okay," assured Phoenix. "We were just about to leave anyway." He turned to Maya and Pearl. "This is Ema Skye. She's a scientific investigator. Ema, these are my assistants, Maya and Pearl Fey. They're spirit mediums."

"Wow! Really?" Ema pushed her glasses up onto her forehead. "It's very nice to meet you! Oh, right!" She looked over at Edgeworth, who was drumming his fingers on his desk impatiently. "Lana wanted to know if you had the TW-7 file."

"Ah, yes." Edgeworth walked over to a shelf and removed the hefty file. "Take this to Ms. Skye, and give her my regards."

"Will do, sir!" Ema started to leave, but she turned and addressed the other two girls. "You wanna come along?"

Maya smiled.

"Sure! See you later, Nick! Come on, Pearly!"

They exited the room, the door swinging shut behind them.

"So, how old are you, Ema?" inquired Maya.

"I'm seventeen. And you?"

"Oh, I'm turning nineteen in a few days. Pearly here is nine." They walked in silence for a while. "So who is this "Lana" you kept talking about?"

A sparkle came into Ema's already bright eyes at the mention of Lana.

"She's my older sister, and the Chief Prosecutor."

"Wow." Maya nodded, impressed. Pearl looked a bit confused, but listened politely.

"Mr. Wright defended her in a huge case last year."

"WHAT?! He never told me about this! I'm going to kill him!" Maya ground her fist into her other hand.

"Haha, don't worry. I'm sure he'll tell you; he probably forgot."

Pearl finally spoke.

"So, do you see Mr. Edgeworth a lot?"

Ema smiled at the younger girl, nearly dropping her file in the process.

"Maybe a couple of times per week. Lana often sends me to help him. Although..." she paused, "he's been acting... a bit off lately."

"What do you mean?" asked Maya, concerned.

"Well... he stops working a lot, and just stares off into space for a few seconds. Sometimes he works on a picture, or maybe a letter or something, when he thinks I'm not looking. If I ask, he pretends that he doesn't know what I'm talking about."

"Hmm. Nick seems strange lately also. I wonder if they're sick?" Maya rubbed her chin, deep in thought.

"It's a-a misty-rey!" exclaimed Pearl, determination flashing in her eyes.

"I suppose it is a mystery," said Ema. "They may be suffering from the same thing, and... I guess it's up to us to figure out what!"

"All right!" grinned Maya. "Let's get to the bottom of this!"


	3. Chapter 3

I'm never going to get my reviews back... oh well. Love to my reviewers and lurkers. :)

My rabbit died a few days ago... but my concussion is doing better. People should not be allowed to play football in the pool.

I got two new fish: Bernard, a female Kenyi cichlid, and Franziska, a female golden guppy. How do I know the difference between a male and a female guppy?

A few days after I got her, Franziska had about thirty babies. What am I going to do with that many guppies?!

Ugh, I'm so tired. My friend and I pulled an all-nighter trying to get those _stupid golden bugs_ on Twilight Princess. Then we beat Zant, after the game's best cutscene ever. Who knew that under the armor was a depressed ballerina freak? (I'm just joking, but whoever saw that scene knows what I'm talking about.)

Anyways, dinner calls, so enjoy!

Chapter 3

March 8

3:15 P.M.

Prosecutors' Office Hallway

Ema smiled happily, excited at the prospect of unlocking the truth once more.

"What's this TW-7 case?" Maya asked, drawing her attention to the thick folder bulging in Ema's arms.

"Oh, it's - aah!" The folder had been sliding its way to the floor, and had decided to make the leap of faith. A whirlwind of papers flew around the three companions before settling onto the floor.

"Aww, this is gonna take forever!" Ema whined. Maya patted her shoulder, while Pearl began to arrange the papers in proper order. Unfortunately, she was mixing them up even more.

"I'll do it. It's okay, Pearl," Ema said, bending over to pick up the papers.

Maya stared at them. _'I should probably be helping, huh?'_

"Oh! Hey!" she cried, snapping her fingers. "Do you want to come to my birthday party on Saturday? It's going to be really, really fun!"

"Sure!" Ema cheerfully replied, happy to have made a new friend. "Um, think you could give me a hand?"

'_Darn,'_ Maya thought. Apparently, changing the subject didn't work with Ema Skye.

………………………………………………………………………………………

March 8

3:15 P.M.

High Prosecutor's Office

Both Phoenix and Edgeworth stared at the door for a few seconds.

"I believe you had to leave, Wright?" the prosecutor icily reminded him.

"Oh... that was a lie. I'm taking a nap here. Goodnight, Miles."

Edgeworth glared over the top of his desk at Phoenix, who had spread himself on the couch comfortably, eyes closed.

"Would it kill you to address me by my surname, Wright? And no, you may not sleep here. Go home if you're so tired." No answer. The defense attorney had either dozed off or was simply ignoring him. Too polite to shove him onto the floor, Edgeworth sighed and continued doing his paperwork.

He looked up a few minutes later. Yes, Wright was definitely asleep. Cracking a slight smile, Edgeworth observed his peaceful expression.

'_He looks so...'_

A bang as the door was slammed open.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything, pal!" A grinning Dick Gumshoe strode into the room, scratching at the bandage on his cheek. He glanced at the sleeping Phoenix. "You running a daycare center or something? Heh heh."

"One would think," Edgeworth muttered. He looked up. "Please refrain from slamming my door, Detective. It could cause damage to the frame."

"Oh," Gumshoe said, looking sheepish. "Sorry. Here's your file. I'll go now." Shoulders slumped, he exited the room.

Miles Edgeworth sighed deeply. Although the detective could be a nuisance at times, he was an overall pleasant fellow. However, his feelings were hurt easily. The prosecutor turned his attention to the sleeping man on his couch. The noisy interruption had not stirred him from his sleep. He shifted slightly and mumbled something. Edgeworth walked over and, unknowingly to himself, bent over Wright, listening. Phoenix muttered something again, more clearly this time.

"Donnleeveme."

_'Don't leave me?'_ Edgeworth wondered.

Bang.

"Heyyyy, Nick!" Maya poked her head around the door and waved, but stopped as she observed the scene before her.

"Sorry, Mr. Nick's already taken. You can't kiss him," scolded Pearl, popping out from behind Maya.

"Pearly!" cried Maya. "You know it's not like that with Nick and me! _Or _with Nick and Mr. Edgeworth! Wherever did you get that idea?!"

"But it looked like... he was bending over and..."

"Enough!" barked Edgeworth, a bit more harshly than he meant to. He flushed slightly, the pink obvious against his pale face. "I assure you, nothing of the sort was going on! I was merely..." What had he been doing? "Er, waking him up," he finished. "But as you can see, I failed." Indeed, Phoenix was still resting peacefully on the plush red fabric of the sofa.

"I know what'll wake him up!" Ema declared, striding into the room with purpose, having delivered her hastily restuffed folder. Taking a nearby vase from the windowsill, she dumped the contents over the dozing man's head.

"Wha-? Ack! Pppttthhh!" Phoenix spat water and flower petals all over his lap, shaking his head frantically. "Cold cold COLD!"

"Well?" Edgeworth inquired, smirking. "You got the water you wanted. Did it help to tame your restless locks?"

"Enough with the Shakespeare, Edgeworth," Phoenix growled, irritated beyond belief.

"Tsk tsk tsk. The way I speak is hardly that of William Shakespeare's time. It would do you good to become civilized sometime in the next century, Wright." He turned to Ema, as Phoenix steamed with anger. "Please restore my couch, Ema. I expect it to be completely dry and flower-free by tomorrow."

"No problem! Let me get some stuff. See you, guys!" She turned and ran out the door, slamming it behind her. Edgeworth winced.

"How many times must I inform visitors to treat that door gently?" he scowled.

"Hmph," Phoenix grunted, matching the scowl with one of his own. "Think you're so clever and handsome and all that."

Edgeworth lifted an eyebrow.

"I don't believe that I ever expressed the idea of my looks surpassing others. If anything, you were the one who brought that up, Wright, merely a few seconds ago."

Phoenix, Maya observed, blushed more easily than Edgeworth, and showed it more, too.

"Yeah - I - wait, no - never mind. Anyway! Let's move on to something else. I was leaving. Right. Later, Edgeworth."

He steered Maya and Pearl out the door, exaggeratedly closing it ever-so-gently behind him.

Edgeworth crossed his arms and stared after them for a few seconds, then retreated to his desk.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey. I've been quite upset lately, because somebody decided to steal my iPod.

Not cool. I saved up for that thing for a year.

Anyways, thanks for the reviews. I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 4

March 14

12:00 A.M.

Maya Fey's House

Maya smiled happily. So far, her party was a rousing success. Nick was sitting at a table with Larry, drinking a beer. Gumshoe had amiably agreed to play catch with Pearly, in between munching tortilla chips. Ema Skye had arrived five minutes ago, and the two had been sipping sodas and chatting. However, one person was missing: Miles Edgeworth.

'_Maybe something came up with work,'_ she mused, sighing a bit. _'Oh well.' _Just then, the doorbell rang, and Phoenix, tripping over his chair as he got up, opened it.

The crack of a whip sounded throughout the house, and Phoenix landed on his backside, wincing in pain. Maya was surprised, but wary of the new arrival. She hoped that they could be on friendlier terms this time around...

Franziska von Karma, silvery hair glinting in the sunlight, stepped over the prone form of Phoenix Wright and entered the room. She was followed by none other than Miles Edgeworth, who was astonishingly dressed in a simple polo shirt and slacks. Maya walked over to greet the new arrivals as Edgeworth clasped a stuttering Phoenix's hand and hauled him up.

"Ms. von Karma! How... lovely to see you! And Mr. Edgeworth, it's good to see that you came after all." Franziska fixed her with a steely glare, then seemed to find her acceptable and relaxed slightly. It was hard to believe that they were the same age.

"My apologies," Edgeworth replied. "Franziska arrived without warning, and I decided that it would be rude to leave her alone."

Maya eyed the whip nervously.

"It's... no trouble at all."

"I thank you for your graciousness, Maya Fey," said Franziska, merely being polite. "There is no need for you to fear my whip. I have reserved it for my foolish male friends over there." She gestured to a cowering Gumshoe, then at Phoenix, who was hiding behind Edgeworth, occasionally peering out from behind. Just then, Larry made the mistake of whistling at the woman. The whip struck, as quick as a snake. The deed was done: Larry Butz had learned to fear the name of von Karma.

"Wright, honestly," Edgeworth sighed, looking behind him. "I thought I told you not to drink anything."

"Hey!" Phoenix protested, smashing the beer can in his hand. "I just had one!"

"Keep telling yourself that, Wright." Edgeworth helped himself to a bottle of water. "By the way, I had something about the case that I wanted to discuss with you..." They retreated to a corner, and Franziska fixated her attention on the hapless Dick Gumshoe. Maya grabbed a few more chips and leaned against the wall.

"So who's that?" Ema asked, jerking her thumb at Franziska.

"Franziska von Karma," Maya sighed. "Daughter of the infamous prosecutor Manfred von Karma. She's kind of like a sister to Mr. Edgeworth. Became a prosecutor at the age of thirteen."

"Wow!" Ema, it seemed, had found yet another idol. "That's incredible!"

"Yes, it is. And _don't_ get on her bad side. Watch what you say around her."

"Hm." Ema settled against the wall. "So what's up with Mr. Wright?"

Maya looked over at Nick, who was still conversing with Edgeworth. His eyes kept darting over to Franziska nervously. Now that she thought about it, Nick always seemed more... reserved when Edgeworth was around, but at the same time, more comfortable. It was strange.

Edgeworth put his hand on Phoenix's shoulder and said something about court, the look on his face intense. Then, he smirked and walked away. Phoenix, in a daze, touched his shoulder where Edgeworth's thick fingers had pressed into the fabric of his shirt.

Pearl had noticed, as well as Ema. Their eyes connected for a few seconds before looking away. Maya wondered if they were thinking the same thing as she was. The revelation had been... startling, to say the least.

'_There's no way... but that would explain a lot...'_

Maya quickly banished the thought from her head and went over to slice the cake.

Ema, Maya, and Pearl sat on the floor, the other guests having left a few minutes ago.

"Are... are you thinking what I'm thinking, Ema?" asked Maya tentatively.

"Of course," Ema nodded sagely. "There's no doubt about it."

Pearl bit her lip and said nothing.

"Through my reasoning, I have deducted that... Phoenix Wright is in love with Franziska von Karma!" Ema declared, snapping her notebook shut decisively.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!" cried Maya and Pearl.

"But... but that's not what I was thinking at all!" stammered Maya.

"Well, think about it," said Ema. "Did you see how he kept looking at her, the whole time that he was talking to Mr. Edgeworth?"

Maya sighed.

"He was afraid that she was going to whip him, Ema. Besides, didn't you notice what happened after Edgeworth left?"

Ema thought for a minute, as comprehension dawned in her blue eyes.

"But... you don't think... if that's so, then he's being really obvious."

"Yeah, well, that's Nick," Maya chuckled.

Pearl finally spoke up.

"Mystic Maya... but weren't you and Mr. Nick..."

"No, Pearly. We weren't. So you think so, too?"

"Y-yes," Pearl admitted. "Mr. Nick is in love with Mr. Edgeworth."

"So, now what?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Ema replied, after scribbling something in her notebook and placing it into her bag. "We find out if Mr. Edgeworth feels the same way about him!"

"That's going to be difficult," pondered Maya. "Mr. Edgeworth almost never lets his feelings show."

Ema shook her head.

"That's why we have to squeeze it out of him by indirect means. There have been several hints, but we need decisive evidence." She frowned, a crease appearing in her forehead.

Pearl sat in silence, musing. She had always thought that Mystic Maya and Mr. Nick looked great together, but... she supposed that Mr. Nick and Mr. Edgeworth would look... a bit cute. Besides, if it made Mr. Nick happy... she owed him so much...

Making up her mind, she fixed Ema with an intense stare.

"We need to talk to the people who know him best, not including Mr. Nick."

"Good idea, Pearly!" Maya smiled at her cousin. "Let's see, that would be... Franziska von Karma... Larry... Detective Gumshoe..."

"...And my sister," Ema finished.

"Your sister knows Mr. Edgeworth?"

"Oh, yes. She was his mentor after von Karma."

Maya stood up, determination flashing in her eyes.

"That does it. Tomorrow, we take action!"

March 15

1:00 P.M.

Prosecutors' Office Hallway

As the three girls strolled toward the Chief Prosecutor's Office, they heard a commotion.

"You foolish fool. You cannot afford to have such foolish emotions get in your way. Your foolishness has decreased the quality of your performance."

"Franziska, if you don't mind, I have work to do. And I don't see how it's any of your business."

"Miles Edgeworth! You have been such a fool as to let your foolish feelings show! And you foolishly decided to keep it a secret from me! I have no time for fools such as yourself." Seconds later, a door slammed, and Franziska stalked out, every muscle tense, whip clenched tightly in her hand.

Ema glanced at Maya.

"What the heck was that about?"

"I don't know. Maybe it will tell us something. Let's check in with her after she's calmed down a bit."

March 15

1:30 P.M.

Outside the Prosecutors' Office

"Well, that was helpful," Maya sighed as they dejectedly exited the building.

"She was very nice," commented Pearl, sucking on the lollipop given to her by Lana Skye, "but she seemed like... she didn't want to talk to us about it."

"I should have known," Ema muttered. "Lana never tells anybody anything when she knows that it could cause trouble. I guess the detective is next."

They approached the police station, hoping that Gumshoe would provide something useful for their investigation.


	5. Chapter 5

I am so sorry, you guys! We've been on vacation for about a month, and when I get back, I have all this stupid homework to do... it hasn't left me with a lot of free time. I got a baby rabbit, because my old one died a few weeks ago. Saved from being snake food... literally. I named her Melinda. She's always eating.

I am saving money for a new iPod. I am going to kill whoever stole my old one.

Without further ado...

Chapter 5

March 15

2:00 P.M.

Criminal Affairs Department

"Hey, pals!"

"Hi, Detective Gumshoe!" Maya smiled. "We were wondering if you could answer a few questions about something."

Gumshoe frowned.

"As long as the information isn't confidential, I guess that'd be okay," he replied, scratching his head.

"Great!"

They sat in some stiff, uncomfortable chairs nearby.

"The thing is..." Maya began, "we're worried about Mr. Edgeworth."

"What's wrong with Mr. Edgeworth?!" Gumshoe demanded, concerned about his friend.

"We... don't know," Maya admitted. "That's why we were wondering if you'd noticed anything strange about him lately."

Gumshoe frowned, deep in thought. Suddenly, his eyes flashed in remembrance, and he dashed off without a word. He returned, puffing, with a piece of paper clenched in his hand.

"Mr. Edgeworth gave me some papers to look over, and this was underneath them," he declared, offering the paper to Maya. As the three girls examined it, their eyes widened.

Light pencil strokes formed an exquisite portrait of a familiar defense attorney. Pearl nodded slightly, thinking. A slight grin played across Ema's face. Maya whirled around to face Gumshoe.

"Can we take this for a while?"

"Sure, pal, if it'll help Mr. Edgeworth! He's one heck of an artist, isn't he? I've seen some of his sketches before, but this is the first time he's done something that detailed, to my knowledge."

"Thanks, Detective! We'll let you know if we find anything!" That said, the three dashed off in the direction of Larry Butz's house.

March 15

2:00 P.M.

Wright & Co. Law Offices

Phoenix tapped a pen on his desk in a rhythmic fashion, brooding. A particular person was on his mind.

He and Miles Edgeworth had been friends since fourth grade. When he moved away, Phoenix sobbed for days.

'_I've always been a bit of a crybaby,'_ he admitted to himself, smiling grimly.

Five years ago, as he was studying to become an actor, he had woken up to a startling article in the morning newspaper... about the "Demon Prosecutor" Miles Edgeworth, who had always dreamed of becoming a defense attorney. Phoenix desperately tried to contact him, but to no avail. Determined to reunite with his long-lost friend, he scrapped his acting ambitions and became a defense attorney, so that he would meet Miles in court. When he did, he was surprised how much Miles had changed, from a warm, compassionate young boy to a cold, calculating man. Even when Phoenix was accused as the killer, Miles told him that he would be getting "no special treatment." Phoenix had wondered if Miles wanted him dead, but now he knew that it was the pressure on him to win every case. Still, a twinge of pain shot through him every time he saw that face, determined to send him to jail, then execution.

After the Will Powers case, Miles had told him never to show his face in front of him again. He mentioned that since he had seen him again, he had been saddled with unnecessary feelings: unease and uncertainty. Phoenix wondered now what he had meant by that. What could Miles Edgeworth possibly have to be uneasy about?

Then, there was... that case.

He had defended Miles on charges of murder not once, but twice, successfully ridding Miles of the fear that he had killed his own father. Miles had told him not to get involved... he didn't want him finding out about DL-6.

'_Why? Because he was ashamed, afraid that I would hold it against him?'_

In the end, the man who was responsible for both murders was revealed: Manfred von Karma, Miles' foster guardian, and a prosecutor who his father had dared to defy. Miles had seemed cool and calm after the trial, but Phoenix knew that inside, he was screaming and crying and waiting for rejection.

'_Although it was pretty funny to see him whooping on Maya's request,' _grinned Phoenix.

Then, there was the case of Lana Skye, where the rumors about Miles Edgeworth were finally brought to light. The forged evidence claims led back to one man: Damon Gant, the former Chief of Police, who fed the "evidence" to Miles. After that case, Miles disappeared for a year, leaving a suicide note behind.

Phoenix had felt, to say the least, betrayed, angry, guilty, and overwhelmingly full of grief. After all he had done for Miles... because of the stupid perfect win record... it was his fault... his close friend... one of the only people he had left...

Every time someone asked him about Miles Edgeworth, his temper blew and he began yelling at them, the ones close to him, enough to make them back away in fear. How dare they bring back those painful memories... how dare they...

Then along came Franziska von Karma. The whip-wielding prosecutor, Miles' foster sister, had sharp eyes and an even sharper tongue. All who knew her lived in fear of her, save for her "little brother."

As Phoenix was engaged in a debate with her, a familiar voice rang throughout the room.

Several emotions jolted through Phoenix at the reappearance of Miles Edgeworth. Joy, relief, and fury rose to the top. He wanted to fling his arms around Miles and sob into his shoulder. Instead, rage flew out of his mouth, expressing many things that he didn't mean, such as "You should have stayed dead." He saw a flash of hurt in Miles' grey eyes, but that didn't stop him from offering to help.

'_Why did I treat him that way? He's already been through so much...'_

Much later, he found that Miles had left for much less shallow reasons that could hardly be explained. However, he had not changed in that he let Phoenix pay for the rather expensive dinner that was eaten after Maya's rescue.

Miles had always been extremely kind to Maya, starting after the case where they met. When she was arrested for objecting to his guilt, he had been extremely moved, to the extent that Gumshoe remarked "I saw his lip trembling." Later, he even posted her bail. A year later, after she was kidnapped, he immediately sent a rescue team to find her, then expressed relief to see her safe and sound.

Phoenix nearly started laughing and crying at the same time. The old Edgeworth was back.

But now...

Whenever he saw that dark grey hair, those expressive eyes, and that tall, muscular build... his heart seemed to skip a few beats before resuming, much faster than before.

He could come to only one logical conclusion. He was extremely glad to have his friend back.

'_Oh, right!'_ snorted a little voice in his brain.

'_What the hell?'_ Phoenix mentally retorted.

'_You know what I'm talking about,'_ sneered the offending voice.

The truth was, Phoenix did, and he didn't like it.

'_Okay, you know what? No. No. No. Goodbye.'_ With that, he shook his head and turned his attention to the phone, which had just started ringing.

"Wright and Co. Law Offices. Phoenix Wright speaking."

"Geez, Nick. You don't have to be so stuffy. You're turning into Edgey!"

"Hi, Larry," Phoenix sighed, lounging back in his chair. "What's up?"

"I'm bored," whined his long-time friend. "Come over, and bring Edgey. We can all hang out or something. Besides..." he whispered secretively, "I have _fudge."_

"You bake?" Phoenix inquired, incredulous.

"Of course I do!" Larry huffed. "You got a problem with that?"

"N-no," Phoenix sweated nervously. "I'll call Mi - Edgeworth. See you later." He hung up the phone, then dialed Edgeworth's office number. Surprisingly, he got no answer.

"Hmm. Maybe I'll try his home phone?" The phone rang a few times before he heard "Edgeworth speaking." The voice sounded hoarse and groggy.

"Edgeworth? What's up? You sound awful."

"What the hell do you want, Wright?" Edgeworth demanded.

"Ooh, Mr. Grumpy. Larry wanted to know if you could come over, but I guess that's out of the question. Now what's up?"

Edgeworth sighed.

"I fell asleep at work," he muttered, ignoring Phoenix's stunned silence, "because I had a fever. When I woke up, Ms. Skye was standing over me, lecturing me on my current uselessness at the office if I was going to be sick, as I was 'clearly unfit to complete my work.'" Edgeworth was clearly disgruntled. "So she made me go home. Are you done with your pointless questioning, Wright?"

Phoenix smiled. He knew that Edgeworth would be extremely unhappy about this missed day of work, and possibly more, if his fever continued.

"Okay. I hope you feel better. See you soon."

"Wait, what? Wright!" Phoenix hung up the phone and dialed Larry's number.

"Larry? Change of plans, we're playing doctor."

March 15

2:30 P.M.

Miles Edgeworth's House

Edgeworth stared incredulously at the company assembled on his doorstep. Well, it wasn't exactly a company, more like two more people than he needed to be around right now. A scowl crossed his features, and he crossed his arms impatiently.

"What are you two doing here?"

"Well, well, Mr. Sunshine today, aren't we?" Phoenix brushed past Edgeworth, grinning, as Larry followed him, carrying a foil-covered tray. Edgeworth growled in exasperation as Larry smirked at him.

"Nice robe, Edgey. Pink again? And are those... _pink pajamas?" _Edgeworth's brow furrowed, and his scowl deepened as Larry continued to ramble on. "So you do change out of the gay pink suit and those gay neck frills! I christen these," he declared dramatically, setting down the tray and putting his hands on Edgeworth's broad shoulders, "the gay pink robe and the gay pink pajamas!"

Edgeworth swatted Larry's hands away, irritated beyond all imagining.

"It's a magenta suit, and the "neck frills thing" is called a cravat. The robe is also magenta. The pajamas I'll concede, but it's a very _light _shade of pink."

"But it's still pink." He skipped off, singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

Edgeworth threw a death glare at Larry, then stomped into the kitchen, where Phoenix was busying himself by boiling a pot of broth and throwing random vegetables in.

"I can cook too, you know," he stated, smiling at Edgeworth's dumbfounded look. Then, snickering, he handed Edgeworth a small box. "A get-well present." Edgeworth, curious, removed the lid as Larry began arranging his fudge on a platter. Inside was a dark blue, well-made hairbrush.

Edgeworth poked his head into the hallway to look in the mirror. He saw a tousled grey mess.

Phoenix continued to snicker as Edgeworth rewarded him with a glare, one eyelid twitching. He abruptly stopped as he ducked a flying cobalt object. "Hey, what the hell?! I spent a good chunk of my savings on that thing! It was at that one store you like so much!"

Edgeworth stopped glaring, considering this fact. The store in question carried items that were considerably expensive, and he was surprised that they even let Wright in, with his hooded jacket and faded jeans. Considering what Wright earned, he must have been telling the truth about his savings. Edgeworth silently walked over and retrieved the hairbrush, pondering.

"Why would you spend so much on me?" he asked, sharply glancing at Phoenix.

Phoenix shrugged.

"You're my friend. Why not?"

Edgeworth shifted uncomfortably, then retreated to the hall. He came back a minute later, each hair in its perfect place.

"...Thanks."

The smile on Phoenix's face seemed to light up the entire room.

Phoenix pushed a protesting Edgeworth ahead of him, as Larry followed, carrying soup and fudge.

"I'm not so weak that I need to stay in bed," he argued.

"Shut up, Miles," Phoenix replied cheerfully. "And don't give me that look," he added, as Edgeworth shot him a steely glare. "We're outside of a work situation, I can call you by your first name. And you can call me Phoenix. In fact, I'm making you. We're friends, right?"

"And you can call me Larry!" Larry interrupted.

"I already do," smirked Edgeworth. Larry began grumbling something about no respect.

As they entered Edgeworth's bedroom, Larry gasped exaggeratedly.

"Oh - my - God! It's not pink! What is this foreign 'beige' doing, infesting Edgey's room? Exterminator! We need an exterminator! The heterosexuality is blinding me! It buuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrnnnnsss!" His eyes wide, he set down the food and began running in circles, panicking.

"Shut the hell up, Larry," Miles growled, bending over the bed. For the first time, Phoenix noticed a rather large dog at the foot.

"Pesu, these are my moronic friends. Larry, Wr - Phoenix, this is my dog, Pesu."

Larry stopped panicking and started stroking Pesu, who licked his hand, then bounded up to Phoenix and promptly knocked him over, washing his face happily. Phoenix smiled and scratched the dog's ears. As he struggled to his feet, Larry was cracking up, and even Miles was smiling.

"He's a bit enthusiastic," he mentioned. Phoenix pointed to Miles, then the bed. "Fine," the prosecutor sighed, lifting the covers and settling himself comfortably under them. He removed his robe with some difficulty and hung it at the foot of his bed.

"I'm gonna go make some tea, Miles. I'll let Larry entertain you." He pulled a packet of tea leaves out of his jacket pocket and exited the room. Minutes later, he returned, carrying a steaming cup and seating himself next to the bed.

"Here. Isn't this your favorite?" he asked, handing the cup to his friend.

A strange calmness settled over Miles' features as he breathed in the familiar aroma.

"Yes. Thank you, Phoenix." He took a sip, then sat up straighter as Larry handed him the bowl of hot soup. "Spoon, Larry."

"Oh, right!" Larry leapt up and ran out. A few seconds later, a deafening crash was heard.

"Please tell me he did not just overturn my entire silverware drawer," Miles groaned, putting a hand to his aching forehead. Phoenix, concerned, moved Miles' hand away and replaced it with his own.

"You're burning up," Phoenix commented, eyes filled with worry. "I'm sorry. I wanted to give you some company, but I probably just made it worse..." He buried his hands in his hair. "Like I always do."

Seeing Phoenix like this pained Miles. He put a comforting hand on his shoulder, which Phoenix grasped tightly. Miles stiffened, then grew used to the feeling and gradually relaxed.

"No, it's fine. I'm... touched that you would worry so much about me, although it's entirely unnecessary. You left early to visit me, and that... means a lot to me."

Phoenix looked up warily, as Miles reeled slightly at what he had just said. He had surprised both of them with his comment, and he slowly realized that he had meant every word. He squeezed Phoenix's shoulder in reassurance, and Phoenix slowly squeezed his hand in return.

It was at this moment that Larry chose to barge in, halting as he took in the scene before him.

"Uh, sorry about interrupting. You guys go ahead."

"It's not like that, Larry," Phoenix sighed. He straightened in his seat and removed his hand from Miles'. Miles removed his hand as well, which felt cold from the sudden loss of body heat. A twinge of disappointment shot through him, for reasons unknown to him. "He was just being a good friend."

"If you say so." Larry rolled his eyes slightly and handed Miles the item he had retrieved. Miles glanced at it, then at Larry.

"This is a socket wrench."

"It - what?! It is?!" Larry scratched his head. "Uh-oh. Sorry. They both start with "s", though, so it's easy to get confused."

A silence greeted Larry as Phoenix and Miles exchanged an exasperated, but amused look.


	6. Chapter 6

PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!!! I've had an obnoxious amount of work lately... that's what I get for taking AP Physics (and failing the test, haha). I'll update sooner next time, I promise!

Huh. Let's see. Um, band has been fun... but my friend got kidnapped, which really sucks. I'm so worried...

Why do people in PE have to be such competetive losers? I don't get it.

Whatever. Here. :)

Chapter 6

March 15

3:00 P.M.

Larry Butz's House

"It doesn't look like anyone's home," Pearl remarked as they approached Larry's considerably small house.

"Probably out with his latest girlfriend or something," Maya grinned. They strolled up to the door, and saw a Post-it note attached. Ema reached out and removed it.

"I'm over at Edgey's. And by the way, my girlfriend dumped me. Anyone willing to go out with me?" she read, her mouth twitching in amusement.

Pearl sighed.

"I guess we'll have to go over there, then," she remarked. "But we'll have to be dis... dis-creet. We don't want Mr. Edgeworth to hear us."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

March 15

3:15 P.M.

Miles Edgeworth's House

As Larry crashed around the kitchen, tossing random appliances into the bedroom every now and then, Miles finished his soup and reached for a piece of fudge.

"Well, that was... awkward," Phoenix commented tentatively.

Miles said nothing, merely glancing over at Phoenix as the doorbell rang.

"I'LL GET IT!" Larry bellowed, scrambling over pieces of furniture as Miles growled at the prospect of Larry's dirty shoes all over his chair. "Hi, Lamana! ... Oh, you're not Lamana. Sorry about that. Nice to see you guys!"

Phoenix looked out the window and saw a familiar trio on the doorstep.

"What are Maya, Ema, and Pearls doing here?" he wondered aloud. He saw their mouths moving, apparently asking Larry a question. Larry considered what they said for a moment, then let out a guffaw.

"They're SO TOTALLY GAY for each other! Nick and Edgey, they were totally gonna kiss when I walked in..."

Both Phoenix and Miles shot up from their respective positions and were out the door in an instant.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" they practically screamed at him, knocking him over. Larry rubbed his now-aching head.

"Don't blame me!" he whined. "They were asking me if I had noticed anything strange about you two lately!" He pointed at the girls, who stood stock still. Miles glared, Phoenix just looked confused, and Larry grinned uncertainly.

"...Run," Maya muttered to her companions, and they took off down the street.

"...That was odd," mused Phoenix. "And you're an asshole," he added, kicking Larry slightly.

"Yeah, you are," agreed Miles.

Larry just groaned.

March 15

3:30 P.M.

Gatewater Hotel

"Excuse me!" called an out-of-breath Ema, stumbling into the ritzy establishment. The bellboy turned around, smiling in welcome.

"What can I do for you, miss?"

"We were wondering if you know what room that Franziska von Karma is currently staying in?" Ema asked.

"I'm very sorry, but could you provide a description?" the bellboy replied, tilting his head inquisitively.

"Pissed off, short black skirt, boots, whip," Ema stated bluntly.

The bellboy's eyes became wary.

"Ah, yes. Room 202." He pointed to an elevator. "Take that to the third floor. The room should be to your right."

"Thanks! Let's go!" Ema started heading to the elevator. Maya followed her, but Pearl stayed behind. She exchanged a few quiet words with the bellboy, then he handed her a few small packets. She quickly caught up to the older girls, slipping her gifts into her pocket.

"What are those?" Maya asked her cousin.

"Mr. Edgeworth's favorite kind of tea. From what I've seen, that bellboy brings tea to him every day. I thought they might come in handy."

"I don't see how, but you never know," said Maya.

………………………………………………………………………………………

March 15

3:15 P.M.

Room 202

"What?" snapped Franziska, after opening the door.

"Um, Ms. von Karma, we were wondering if we could ask you about something?" Pearl asked, intimidated by this fearsome woman's presence.

"Fine. Make it quick." She stood away from the door, and they entered the room as she closed it behind them. Sitting down at the table, she crossed her arms impatiently. "Well...?"

"Ah, we heard the... exchange... between you and Mr. Edgeworth," Maya explained, "and we were wondering if you were feeling all right."

"I am fine. Is that all?" said Franziska sharply.

"Um, not really." Maya bit her lip. "We were wondering about these 'feelings' that Mr. Edgeworth has. He's been acting strange, and we're worried about him."

Franziska sighed in exasperation.

"He's a fool. He will not even tell me about these feelings, instead choosing to insist that they do not exist. I know differently. I find it difficult to believe that most people find him a challenge to read."

"So, what are these feelings?" Ema inquired.

Franziska glanced at her sternly.

"Why should I tell you?" she testily retorted.

"Um... uh..."

"Because we want him to be happy," Pearl answered firmly. Franziska met her eyes and was startled at the resolve and determination she saw there.

'_Quite an admirable trait for such a young girl,'_ Franziska thought.

"…Although he has not said so himself, I have reason to believe that he... is in love with somebody. That fool. He does not need such foolish things to get in his way."

Maya nearly squealed in excitement. They were so close!

"Who does he feel this for?" she interrupted, barely able to contain herself.

Franziska sighed again and closed her eyes, obviously irritated.

"I... do not know, though I have my suspicions."

"Would this help?" Ema asked, removing the drawing from her shoulder bag. She handed it to Franziska, who looked it over with a critical eye.

"His chin is slightly off," she snorted contemptuously, then returned the drawing. Closing her eyes in exasperation, she tapped her fingers on the table. "I suppose that this sketch does explain a lot. It is possible that he feels this for Phoenix Wright, foolish as the idea is. Now, I must think about this alone. Leave." She shot them a sharp glance, and the two older girls quickly exited the room. Pearl remained.

"Th - thank you, Ms. von Karma."

"Hmph." Franziska pointed to the door. Pearl looked back as she stepped out, and she saw that Franziska had buried her face in her hands. The young prosecutor murmured,

"He's always left me behind... why didn't that fool just tell me?"

March 16

10:00 A.M.

Wright & Co. Law Offices

Phoenix Wright was, to say the least, a bit worried. Both Maya and Pearls had not shown up for work this morning.

'_Was it because of yesterday?'_ he wondered. Picking up the phone, he decided to call Edgeworth and ask if Ema was around.

"Edgeworth speaking."

Phoenix winced.

"You still don't sound so good."

"Yes, well." Edgeworth muttered to himself about another missed day of work, then turned his attention back to Phoenix. "Did you need something?"

"Um, I know this is a long shot," Phoenix began, "but have you seen Ema since yesterday?"

"No, I haven't," Edgeworth replied.

"Oh man," Phoenix sighed. "First Maya and Pearls, and now Ema."

"So Maya and Pearl have not shown up either?" Edgeworth mused. "I don't believe that they are in any sort of trouble. In all likelihood, they are afraid to face you after what happened yesterday."

A slight tinge of pink came to Phoenix's cheeks, remembering Larry's comment. The little voice in his head had nagged him about it all night.

"Thanks, Edgeworth. I'll see you later."

"Goodbye, Wright." He hung up, and Phoenix was left with a dial tone buzzing in his ear. Replacing the phone on the register, he grabbed his coat and left the office.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

March 16

10:15 A.M.

Maya Fey's House

"Maya?" Phoenix knocked on the door. He got no reply, and sighed. "Maya, come on. I know you're in there. Pearls and Ema too, right?" Still no reply. "Okay, but you know I have a lot of experience in breaking down doors."

The door creaked open, and Pearl poked her head around it.

"Shh!" she scolded. "Mystic Maya is sleeping! She told me not to let you in!"

Phoenix pondered this new information.

"Wait, if she was sleeping, how could she have told you not to let me in?" he challenged. Pearl's eyes snapped open, and her hand shot to her mouth.

"Pearls, I'm going to need to ask you a few questions," Phoenix continued, reaching into his pocket for a familiar object. He felt the cool, smooth surface of the Magatama brush up against his fingertips, and gripped it tightly. "Why did you three ask about Edgeworth and me yesterday?"

Phoenix winced, still not used to the sight as metaphysical chains wound themselves around Pearl, with four large locks holding them together.

'_Four!'_ Phoenix thought, shocked. _ 'She must really not want to tell me!'_

Pearl finally replied.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Nick," she said, meeting his eyes with a determined stare.

"You're lying," retorted Phoenix.

Pearl winced.

"You don't know that, Mr. Nick," she warned him. "What makes you think we asked Mr. Butz anything about you?"

"He told me so," Phoenix replied, smirking at the sound of a lock shattering into pieces. Pearl chewed on her lower lip.

"Th-that's - "

"You ready to talk?" asked Phoenix kindly.

"Mr. Wright!"

"Nick!"

Phoenix looked up at Ema and Maya, who had appeared from seemingly nowhere.

"Be nice to Pearly!" said Maya, hugging her cousin. "She shouldn't have to say things that she doesn't want to!"

"Oh?" challenged Phoenix. "How about you two, then? Why were you asking about us?"

The chains and locks appeared again. Phoenix quickly counted them.

'_F-five?!'_ he panicked. _'On BOTH OF THEM?!'_

"Give it up, Nick," chided Maya. "We're not going to tell you."

With a sigh, Phoenix released the Magatama. He was going to have to find his information by some other means.

March 16

11:00 A.M.

Miles Edgeworth's House

As Miles sat in bed, quietly sipping his tea, he pondered over the past week's events.

It annoyed him, seeing how much Phoenix worried about him. He was obviously not living well, and yet he made so many sacrifices for him.

Miles growled in irritation.

'_Why?!'_

Phoenix Wright was nothing but a soft, gullible idiot.

And yet... something about those eyes reached him yesterday. The touch of his hand, that intense stare...

It was strange, how he felt. Why should he become so unguarded around Wright? What was it about him that made him feel... complete?

'_Yes, I trust him,'_ Miles thought_. 'But I trust Detective Gumshoe as well, and I've never felt like this around him...'_

Larry's words floated around in his head.

'"They're SO TOTALLY GAY for each other!"'

Miles grimaced. The teacup trembled in his hand. He knew what he was feeling, and unlike Phoenix, he figured there was no use in denying it. However, he resolved that he would never tell anyone, least of all...

'_When exactly did I fall in love with Phoenix Wright?'_

March 16

6:00 P.M.

Maya Fey's House

"Nick." Maya stared at Phoenix intently. "You've been acting weird all day. What's up?"

Phoenix sighed.

"Isn't it obvious?! Why the hell were you asking about Edgeworth and me?!"

"Oh, that." Ema and Pearl exchanged nervous glances. "Well..."

"Tell me."

Ema knew she had to do something. The time was not right to confront Mr. Wright. She smiled at the rhyme in her head, then cleared her throat.

"Um, I was going to send Mr. Edgeworth something to help him feel better, you know, in case he had a sore throat. But it's getting kind of late, and I forgot to do it today. Could you bring them to him, Mr. Wright?" She widened her eyes pleadingly. Pearl gave her a confused look, then understood and dug in her pocket for the packets of tea leaves. She pushed them into Phoenix's hand.

"Mr. Edgeworth would be happy to see you, Mr. Nick," she informed him. Maya hid her slight grin as Phoenix blushed. "Now, please bring these to him." She pushed him out the door, ignoring his stuttered, half-hearted protests. Closing the door behind him, she brushed her hands off, smiling.

Ema grinned at her.

"Thanks, Pearl."


	7. Chapter 7

This computer SUCKS.

I'm so sorry, guys. I tried to update earlier, but the internet over here fails majorly. Please forgive me...

Thanks for all of your lovely reviews! I finally figured out what to write in this story, so updates should be much more frequent.

THANK YOU!!! Enjoy. :)

Chapter 7

March 16

6:15 P.M.

Miles Edgeworth's House

Miles stared at the man who had been on his mind for the past several hours, sheepishly holding a few packets of tea leaves.

"What the hell do you want, Wright? I must warn you, I'm in a foul mood. The old ba - Ms. - Ms. Oldbag sent me more flowers today, with several obnoxious love notes attached."

A wicked grin crept onto Phoenix's face.

"Oh, so Edgey-poo's still a bit under the weather? Aww..." he cooed. A vein appeared to bulge on Miles' forehead. "What are you so mad about? You kept the other gifts she sent you in the office."

"That wasn't me!" sputtered Miles. "Lana keeps telling me to be polite and keep them!"

"Not to mention that Pearls said something about you two having feelings for each other... Ema, too..." mused Phoenix, smirking.

Miles' mouth twisted into an ugly snarl.

"Where did they get that idea, _Wright?"_ he challenged.

Sensing he had gone a bit too far, Phoenix stepped back slightly, blue eyes widening.

"Not from me!" he protested, shielding himself with his hands. "Which reminds me - she wanted me to deliver these." He shoved the tea into Miles' hand and whirled around, shoulders slumping slightly.

"Phoenix."

The use of his first name from his friend stopped Phoenix in his tracks. Slowly turning around, he locked gazes with the prosecutor, nearly losing his breath at the intensity in his eyes. The little voice in his head mentally nudged him suggestively, but his mind swatted it away. A slight blush crept to his cheeks.

The redness on the other man's cheeks confused Miles. Unless...

'_He feels the same way?... No, you're a fool. He could never... it's best not to...'_

"Thank you," Miles said, and retreated into his house.

March 17

11:30 A.M.

Street

Phoenix sighed to himself as he walked to the nearby grocery store. The contents of his fridge no longer qualified as food, and he figured that he might as well buy something healthy before Gumshoe tried to sneak in more instant noodles, or Maya started begging him for burgers. He flushed yet again as he recalled the last time that they had eaten burgers together, and were interrupted by Miles Edgeworth.

'_Why do I feel this way?'_ he wondered, exasperated with himself. _'Do I... no... I...'_

'_You love him,'_ teased the nasty little voice.

'_Shut up!'_ Phoenix retorted.

'_Ooh, not denying it?'_ his mind taunted.

Phoenix pondered this for a while, then sighed in defeat.

'_No, I'm not.'_

The voice chuckled.

Phoenix sorely wished he could talk to Mia at times like this. She would know what to do. In fact, if he pictured her in his mind, he could sometimes hear her voice. He did so now, not able to wait until he saw Maya or Pearls.

'_Phoenix...'_

There it was.

'_Follow your heart... you may be surprised... What seems bad can become... a blessing...'_

Phoenix's eyes shot open, and he sighed again. Mia liked to speak in riddles. As he mulled this over, he heard a loud noise from a nearby alleyway.

'_Wh-what?! That sounds bad! I hope no one's hurt...'_

He dashed toward the alley, a sinking feeling in his chest. The sunlight flashed off a silver surface, and he gasped at what he saw.

A figure, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, stood over a lifeless woman, a knife clasped tightly in its hand. As the figure turned to regard the stunned defense attorney, dark hair fell over its face. Phoenix stepped back, but the attacker dashed over, pulled out a wrench, and bashed him on the head, nodding in satisfaction as he crumpled to the ground. Knowing that the commotion would attract somebody, they looked around nervously before beginning the set-up. This would have to be quick.

March 17

11:40 A.M.

Street

Miles Edgeworth had shopping to do. He forced himself to leave the warmth of the house and look around for a gift to give to Phoenix, as a thank-you for the brush.

'_He didn't have to blow his salary on that hairbrush,'_ Miles thought. A commotion brought him away from his musings.

"Oh my God!"

"Somebody call the police!"

"Aah!"

A throng of people was crowded around the entrance to a small alleyway. Pushing his way through, Miles discovered what had caused the commotion: the body of a woman, holding a wrench. She was surrounded by a puddle of blood.

"Call the police!" he bellowed, scanning the scene for anything that could point to the killer. "Now!"

Someone whipped out a cell phone and started dialing. A flash caught Miles' eye, and he walked to the source. What he saw made him weak in the knees.

Phoenix Wright lay motionless on the ground, holding a large knife. The cheerful defense attorney looked pale and empty.

'_No...'_

"Ambulance!" he nearly screamed. "Call 911!" He knelt beside Phoenix, frantically fumbling at his wrist, and sighing with relief as he detected a pulse. _'Then…'_

"What's going on here, pal?!" A frantic Dick Gumshoe pushed his way through the crowd. "This is insane! It's - is that Mr. Wright?!"

"The paramedics," Miles choked out. "Where are they?"

"Right behind us, pal," stammered Gumshoe, a bit startled by the pain he saw in Miles' eyes.

"Excuse us! Doctors coming through!" a female voice commanded, her partner bringing a stretcher. They shoved Miles to the side and lay Phoenix on the stretcher, then began to leave.

"W-wait!" Miles puffed up indignantly. "You have no right to treat me like that!"

"You were in the way," the nurse snapped. "Unless you _want_ to prevent treatment for this man?"

"No!" Miles shouted. Then, "Let me come with him... I want to be there to yell at him when he wakes up."

The nurse started to reply, but Gumshoe put a hand on her shoulder.

"Let him go," he muttered. "There's something going on between those two. Best friends, yes, but... maybe... WHOA!" Another person had discovered the truth, and Gumshoe stepped back, his eyes wide.

The nurse smirked.

"So it's like _that_, is it? Very well. This way, Mr. Big Shot." The paramedics carried Phoenix toward the ambulance, and Miles followed, in a daze. He sat down in the ambulance and didn't move the entire drive to the hospital, which was thankfully not the Hotti Clinic.

"We're going to take him in for a CT scan," reported the nurse, "just to make sure that there isn't any brain damage. There is a bruise on his skull, near the occipital lobe. When he wakes up, he'll probably be dizzy, with a severe headache. However, we don't know until we perform the scan. Wait here for now."

March 17

12:00 P.M.

Miles Edgeworth's House

A cheerful group of three girls and one man walked along the well-kept sidewalk to a certain prosecutor's house. Larry had recruited them for "The Quest to Find the Gay Pink Slippers," and he had needed some moral support. They arrived at Edgeworth's house and rang the doorbell, but the lights were off, and nobody answered.

"Guess he's not home," Maya said, disappointed. As she said these words, the Steel Samurai Theme Song started playing. "Oh! My phone!" She quickly flipped the top open. "Hello?"

The confused look on her face quickly changed into surprise, then panic.

"Yes, we'll be there right away! Hang on!" She snapped her phone shut. "Nick – head injury - let's go!" She ran in the direction of the hospital, her worried company following her.

March 17

12:30 P.M.

Hospital

"Mr. Edgeworth?" A different nurse walked up to him, clutching a clipboard. "You're a... friend of Mr. Wright's, correct?"

"Yes..."

"We just wanted to let you know that Mr. Wright has suffered a concussion, but it should heal in time. He is not conscious as of yet, but in a few hours, he will probably wake up, although he'll be a bit confused." She smiled as Miles nodded and expressed his thanks.

"MR. EDGEWORTH!!!"

"Maya..." Miles turned around, acknowledging the quartet's presence. "You've heard, then?"

"Y-yeah... is he gonna be okay?"

The nurse smiled.

"He should be fine. This man is fortunate to have friends like you. We're going to keep him overnight, just to be safe. Only one visitor at a time," she added, as Maya opened her mouth. "Sorry, hospital policy. Who's it going to be?"

All eyes turned to one person.

March 17

2:00 P.M.

Maya Fey's House

"Sorry to bring you here, Detective," said Maya, "but we were wondering if…"

"If I've noticed that Mr. Edgeworth loves Mr. Wright?"

Everyone was stunned.

"How…"

Gumshoe rubbed his head uncertainly.

"I just realized it myself, pal," he admitted. "But with all the evidence... it's pretty decisive."

"But this is the hard part..." Ema mused.

"What?" Maya asked.

"Getting them together, of course!" A spark came to Ema's eyes as she slipped her sunglasses on. She tapped them twice, then pulled out her notebook and a pencil. "Any ideas?"

Larry grinned. "Well..."


	8. Chapter 8

Ha! Told you I'd have a quick update!

Anyways. A bit of this is kind of... graphic, because of Larry's active imagination. Just to let you know.

This story's gonna be a LOT longer than originally planned, because of Trials and Tribulations... and Apollo Justice, of course. -waves a flag for new plot material-

Cool. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 8

March 17

1:15 P.M.

Hospital

Larry snatched Ema's notebook and pencil away, then sat on a nearby bench and started scribbling furiously, the tip of his tongue poking through the corner of his mouth. Finally, he stood up and presented the notebook with a triumphant look on his face. The others clustered around it and began to read what Larry had written.

'_The room is still. Everything seems to be holding its breath. The others have gone, and it is just the two of them. They have been locked in a room together, but they don't mind so much anymore, as long as they are with each other. Their feelings have been held in for so long, they feel that they are about to burst. _

_Phoenix Wright reaches up to touch the pale, soft skin of Miles Edgeworth's cheek. They both shiver at the feelings that shoot through them. They feel giddy, astonished, uncertain. _

_It is Miles who boldly cups Phoenix's chin and presses their lips together. He moans, and Phoenix's eyes shine with passion. They embrace, and their lips separate, then meet again, passionate and full of desire. Their lips part... their tongues dance. Phoenix fumbles with Miles' cravat as Miles moves the kisses to his neck, sucking gently. Phoenix whimpers, which excites Miles all the more. They murmur to each other, expressing their love, and revealing all that has been kept in the dark. They push each other's coats off and get to work with unbuttoning the other's shirt, desperate for more skin-to-skin contact. They kiss again, and the shirts are free. Miles pushes Phoenix down onto the nearby bed as they run their hands across the other's chest, sighing in delicious pleasure. Phoenix pulls Miles down for another kiss. Miles obliges, then moves the attentions of his mouth to Phoenix's torso. Phoenix cries out as Miles' tongue brushes against the skin near his waistband, his arousal...'_

The little story became more and more graphic. Too shocked to turn away, they continued reading until the end, with Pearl asking at frequent intervals what this and that meant. Ema finally looked up, closed the notebook, and whacked Larry over the head.

"If you're really that into porn, go write smut or doujinshi for a fandom."

"What makes you think I'm not?" Larry grinned deviously.

"That's sick, pal. It's not gonna work anyways," interrupted Gumshoe. "We need something less... forceful."

Pearl just looked confused. Maya shuddered at the thought of her little cousin being corrupted even more.

Ema bit her bottom lip thoughtfully.

"What we need..." she decided, "is to get one of them to admit his feelings, out of his own mouth. The other one needs to hear him say it, as well; they'll never believe us otherwise." The others nodded. "They need to be caught off-guard in a situation that they are comfortable with."

"Which is...?" Larry mused. Pearl frowned. There must be _something_…

March 17

5:02 P.M.

Hospital

A pair of blue eyes blearily flickered open. The man in the hospital bed groaned and shifted slightly.

'_My head is killing me…'_ As he tried to sit up, the room whirled. With a groan, Phoenix Wright replaced his head on the pillow and shifted his body, only to be greeted by the sight of a familiar man, slumped over in a chair.

"Edgeworth?"

Miles didn't answer, and his heavy breathing evidenced that he had fallen asleep.

"Miles?"

"Hmm?" Miles shifted. One eye opened slightly, then the other. "Wright. You're awake."

"Now who's stating the obvious?" A disdainful snort from the other man brought a slight smile to his face. "What are you doing here, Miles?"

"Waiting for you to wake up," Miles replied, making an invisible adjustment to his cravat.

"What happened?" Phoenix asked. "I'm all dizzy… and my head hurts… and I'm in the hospital, apparently."

Miles sighed.

"I was running a few errands, and I heard a commotion in a nearby alleyway. I went to investigate, and I found you and the body of a dead woman. I was a bit… panicked, so I ordered onlookers to call an ambulance." He closed his grey eyes in weariness before sitting up straight and adjusting his cravat again. "The readings of your CT scan show that you are suffering from a concussion. You need plenty of rest, and you should not engage in strenuous physical activity. I don't think that should be too much of a change from your current schedule."

Phoenix's brow furrowed in irritation, then softened.

"You were... panicked?"

Miles didn't say anything for a while.

"I thought... that you were dead, Wright. As you may have noticed, I don't have many friends. It seemed like DL-6 all over again. I couldn't bear losing someone else close to me."

"But... you... waited… all this time?

"Don't be so astonished," snorted Edgeworth. "Would you have done the same if I were in your present situation?"

"O-of course," stammered Phoenix.

"There you go," stated Edgeworth. He sighed. "Wright... do you know how I found you?"

Phoenix raised an eyebrow.

"Heh, I've been practicing this so I can be all haughty like you."

Edgeworth tried to conceal a smirk.

"Seriously, Wright. I found you holding a knife, which was covered in blood. It looks bad for you, Wright. They will probably take you to court after your injuries are mostly healed."

Phoenix bit his lip, eyes widening.

"But... that's not what happened! I didn't kill her..."

"I know you didn't. But that's what everyone is going to see. What really happened, Wright? Do you remember?"

Phoenix took a deep breath.

"I was on my way to buy some groceries. I heard a noise, so I went to see what was going on. There was a figure... a woman, I think, holding that knife and standing over the body. She turned around, but her face was cloaked... then she approached me, and… pain… my brain was rattling… then everything got black…"

Edgeworth listened to all of this, vowing silently to find this woman and make her pay.

"Edgeworth? Why is your fist clenched like that?"

Edgeworth relaxed slightly.

"Headache."

Phoenix tilted his head, concerned.

"You need anything?"

"You're hardly in a position to get me anything, even if I needed it." He clasped Phoenix's shoulder. "Don't worry about it."

Suddenly, everything was too much for Phoenix. He felt like he could sleep for a thousand years. Pillowing his head on Miles' hand, he sighed softly and closed his eyes.

"Hey! Wright…" Phoenix didn't answer. He had always been quick to fall asleep. Murmuring slightly, he shifted and hugged Miles' arm.

Miles, needless to say, was at a loss. Of course, it was entirely inappropriate for Wright to be behaving like this, but he couldn't help it, and he looked so peaceful.

'_Should I leave, or should I stay?' _As the thought crossed his mind, Phoenix hugged his arm more tightly.

"Don't leave me," he whispered, a pained look crossing his face. Miles knew that look. It was the one that he himself wore when he woke up from a nightmare.

'_Well, that decides things.'_ Miles nodded and settled himself comfortably in his chair. By the looks of it, he would be there for a while.


	9. Chapter 9

Yo. Took me a while to update... sorry. I've been going through a period of serious heartbreak lately.

Homework sucks. At least I have Brawl now.

Mwahaha.

Thank you so much for your kind reviews!

Update: Oops, this is part of my last update. I accidentally posted two chapters last time, but that's all fixed. Sorry to those of you who were hoping for a new chapter... but I'm posting another one up, to make it up to you! 

Chapter 9

March 18

10:00 A.M.

Hospital

"Hmm?" Phoenix moaned groggily and stared at the magenta thing in his arms. "What the hell?…" His eyes felt like they were going to pop out of their sockets, what with all the pressure behind them. He instinctively snuggled closer to the warm, inviting thing in his grasp, lazily following its length to the source. "Oh, shit!"

"Good morning, Wright. Did you sleep well?" Edgeworth raised an eyebrow, removing his arm.

Phoenix's face grew extremely red.

"S-sorry about that, Edgeworth. I don't know what came over me."

"You were asleep. It's not your fault."

The two sat in silence for a while. "So... are you feeling better this morning?"

Phoenix rubbed his head and groaned.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. A nurse poked her head inside.

"Mr. Wright... you have a visitor."

"NIIIIIICK!" cried Maya as she bounded into the room and flung her arms around the bedridden defense attorney. Pearl followed a few seconds later, waving to Edgeworth and glancing around nervously. Ema looked between the two, then sat on the floor between them and started scribbling furiously in her notebook. Gumshoe and Larry wisely brought chairs in, and everyone seated themselves around the lone bed.

"Glad to see you're all right, pal," greeted Gumshoe. "We had to sneak past that grumpy nurse, because she would only let Maya in for now."

"Aww, how cute!" cooed Larry. "Edgey waited with him all night! My plan may have succeeded! I told you so!" He flapped his sleeve at them, grinning.

Phoenix and Edgeworth looked confused, while the others glared at Larry.

"You're going to give everything away!" hissed Maya. Larry grumbled a bit and slumped in his chair.

Pearl squirmed a bit on the uncomfortable plastic chair.

"Wow, it sure is dull here... didn't you two get bored?"

The two lawyers looked at each other, then glanced away, their faces red. Ema took note of this and wrote it in her notebook. She paused to examine various aspects of the room, occasionally jotting something down.

"I found a bottle cap outside," she declared, startling everyone. She held it up for them to see. "Look, isn't it shiny?"

"Uh...sure..." Phoenix offered, unsure how to reply.

Larry snatched the bottle cap and made it do a little dance while singing "That's Amore" in a deep, exaggerated voice. The others watched in a mixture of exasperation and amusement. Finally, when the musical number was done, Gumshoe suggested they play cards.

"With what?" Edgeworth asked.

"Uh... didn't think of that, pal," the detective admitted.

Ema grinned triumphantly and pulled a deck out of her bag.

"You should always be prepared," she stated, tossing it to Detective Gumshoe. "Name anything and I'll have it in my bag."

"Hot sauce!" Maya said. Ema put a bottle in her lap.

"Steel Samurai cards?" Pearl asked. She found herself in the middle of a huge pile of trading cards.

"Me!" grinned Phoenix. "Ha! Gotcha."

Ema opened the bag and put it on his head like a hat.

"Gotcha back, Mr. Wright," she smiled.

The nurse came in and shooed them out, snatching the bag off Phoenix's head and throwing it after them.

"Crabby lady," Ema commented.

"Acts like my ex-girlfriends after they broke up with me," agreed Larry.

"Your love life sucks, pal," interrupted Gumshoe.

Edgeworth and Phoenix heard Larry's protests all the way down the hall.

March 19

6:00 P.M.

Hospital

It was lonely without Edgeworth. He had left the previous night, claiming that he had work to do. Phoenix's head still hurt quite a bit, but the Tylenol helped. Now, at last, he was getting out of that stuffy place. Unfortunately, it wasn't in quite the way he had hoped.

"Okay, Mr. Wright. Come with me," Gumshoe said glumly. Phoenix followed him into his car. "Real sorry about this, pal. Being charged with murder again and all that. But the truth'll come out, pal. It always does."

"Yeah," Phoenix sighed, leaning against the seat as they drove to the Detention Center. "By the way..." he ventured, "who's prosecuting me?"

Gumshoe didn't answer.

"Gumshoe?"

No answer.

"You're not gonna like this, pal," he finally said.

Phoenix had a sneaking suspicion as to why he wouldn't like it.

"See, pal... it's Mr. Edgeworth. Hey, don't be angry with him. He didn't have a choice. They're making him do it. Don't worry, he'll find the real killer."

Phoenix clenched a fist, then relaxed. He didn't speak the rest of the way.

March 25

10:30 A.M.

Detention Center

Phoenix heard the footsteps of the guard long before he saw him. The guard was jingling his keys, which meant that he was about to be let out of his cell. Which meant he had a visitor.

He desperately hoped it would be Maya and Pearls, or Ema, or even Larry. Heck, even Gumshoe would be welcome, unlikely as it would be for him to get enough time to visit. However, he knew who it was, and he didn't want to see him right now. There was no choice, though, so he had to sit in that chair and stare through the bars into those soul-searching grey eyes.

"Wright."

"Good morning,_Prosecutor."_

Edgeworth winced.

"Wright, I didn't want to take this case. It wasn't my choice. But I'm the only one that is willing to see all sides. I will get you acquitted, and find the real killer."

"That's not your job. Your job is to give me the death penalty."

"My job is to find the truth!" Edgeworth exclaimed, standing up and banging his hands on the small ledge in front of him. "Just like yours, Wright. Have you found a defense attorney?"

Phoenix sneered.

"I haven't sunk so low as to not be able to defend myself. Don't talk to me like I'm a random hobo or something."

Edgeworth closed his eyes.

"I'm not trying to hurt you. I came to bring you what we've found so far." Phoenix leaned forward in his chair, his brow furrowing in intense concentration.

"Here's the autopsy report, which states that the victim was stabbed by a large knife. We have the knife in question in police custody, as well as a wrench that was discovered in the victim's right hand, shortly after you were taken away. We did not manage to take a photo of the crime scene, as you were rushed to the hospital. However, we found this while performing the autopsy." Edgeworth held up a skinny brown object. "It was clenched in the victim's left hand."

"What is it?" Phoenix asked, squinting at the stick-like thing.

"It's an earpiece to a pair of glasses." Edgeworth stared at Phoenix. "Wright. We have a witness saying that she saw you commit the crime."

"WHAT?! But... that's impossible!"

"You have to find the truth in your cross-examination, Wright." Edgeworth stood up. "I'll see you in court tomorrow."

March 26

9:00 A.M.

Defense Lobby

Phoenix Wright sighed and looked around the lobby, then bailiffs seeming to glare at him from underneath their navy blue caps. Why had nobody shown up for his trial? Maya was gone, Pearls was missing, and even Ema and Larry had mysteriously disappeared.

He mentally chastised himself for expecting people to be there.

'_After all,'_ he thought ruefully, _'it's not like it's anything new, seeing me on trial for murder.'_ It was getting to be annoying, really. The glares of the crowd would now be directed towards him, and his memories of the other times were... not pleasing, to say the least. _'And I'm up against Edgeworth. This is not going to be pretty.'_

The bailiff moved forward to grab his arms and take him into the courtroom.

March 26

9:15 A.M.

Courtroom No. 2

The crowd muttered amongst themselves as Miles Edgeworth primly strode to the prosecution's desk. Only one who knew him well could tell that he was a bit upset. His fist was clenched so tightly around his briefcase that the knuckles were turning white. His clenched lips and narrowed stare betrayed no obvious sign of distress, as this was his usual expression. His eyebrows twitched, and, setting his briefcase down, he grabbed one arm, looking down at the slim brown container that held every bit of evidence against Wright.

Oh, how he hated that briefcase. He looked up as Wright entered the room, head down, arms gripped tightly by the bailiff, who led him over to the defense's desk and, unlocking his handcuffs, glared at him before retreating. Wright winced and rubbed his newly numbed arms. He pulled his sleeve up, and Edgeworth was shocked to see dark purple bruises encircling the width of his forearm. The other arm had a similar mark. Wright said nothing, only raised an eyebrow at the heavily muscled bailiff. He rubbed his chafed wrists and pulled his sleeves back down.

The assembled crowd grew louder.

"Mommy, is that the bad man?"

"He killed her! I always knew that guy was shifty."

"Mommy! He's gonna kill me too, isn't he?"

"Look at him, thinking he's gonna get away with murder again."

"Mommy!"

"Don't worry, dear. Mr. Edgeworth will get him the death penalty, and you won't have to worry about him anymore."

Edgeworth's eyelid twitched.

"Mommy? Is Mr. Edgeworth the frilly man wearing the pink?"

Edgeworth leaned heavily against his forearm, his eyelid twitching faster. Phoenix smirked slightly. At least Edgeworth was predictable when he got angry.

The judge, a short, bald man with a flowing white beard, seated himself on his podium and banged his gavel. Everyone quieted down.

"Court is now in session for the trial of Mr. Phoenix Wright."

Edgeworth stood up straight.

"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor."

"The defense is ready, Your Honor."

The judge nodded.

"Very well. Mr. Edgeworth, your opening statement, please?"

Edgeworth took out a piece of paper.

"As you know, Mr. Wright is being charged with the murder of one Shannon Norima. The autopsy report states that the cause of death was loss of blood from a stab wound." He shrugged and shook his head, smirking. "The prosecution will eliminate any doubt that the killer is none other than the defendant."

The judge interrupted him.

"Do you have the murder weapon?"

"Of course, Your Honor." Edgeworth produced the bloody knife, causing the people in the gallery to wince. "Naturally, we have had the blood tested, and it is that of the victim."

"Hold it! Were there any fingerprints on this knife?"

Edgeworth chuckled.

"Let me finish, Wright. We tested for fingerprints as well, and they belonged to the defendant, namely, _you_."

The judge frowned.

Phoenix shuffled through the papers he had received earlier that morning. He found what he was looking for near the bottom of the pile.

"Mine... and one other person's."

The crowd muttered. Phoenix put his hands on his hips, giving Edgeworth his own version of the smirk.

Edgeworth looked at him in near-despair.

"Mr. Wright. Your observational skills once again remain in the 'three-year-old' level."

"_I _knew about the other fingerprints, even, being the skilled observer that I am," the judge added.

"You see, Wright? Even the _judge_ knew about the other set of fingerprints, and who they belong to." Phoenix didn't miss the spark of humor that flashed in those eyes. "Try checking the Court Record once in a while."

Phoenix growled.

"Care to introduce the court to the owner of these fingerprints?"

"With pleasure," Edgeworth grinned. "She is, in fact, my decisive witness."

The crowd buzzed, astonished at this new development.


	10. Chapter 10

Hey, guys! Here's your promised chapter to make up for my screw-up last time! Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 10

"Mr. Edgeworth! Will you call this witness to the stand, please?" the judge demanded.

"My, my, getting ahead of ourselves, aren't we, Your Honor?" Edgeworth smirked. Phoenix hated that smirk. "I believe it is customary to first call the one in charge of the investigation?"

"Y-yes, of course," the judge stammered. "Proceed."

Edgeworth slammed a hand on his desk.

"The prosecution summons Detective Dick Gumshoe to the stand!"

A very nervous Detective Gumshoe was brought in.

"Witness. Name and profession."

'_I would hope that everyone would know by now...'_ Phoenix thought.

"My name is Dick Gumshoe, sir," muttered Gumshoe, shifting uneasily. "I'm a detective at the local precinct."

"Detective Gumshoe," Edgeworth inquired, "can you tell us about your investigation?"

"Y-yes, sir..." he replied, shoulders slumped. "If you could all take a look at these plans." He held out a vague blueprint of the crime scene. "We found Mr. Wright over here, in the back of the alley. The victim was found here, in the middle. There was a pool of blood around her, but none anywhere else. She was holding a large wrench in her hand, which her friends have stated that she used for self-defense." By the time we arrived at the scene, she was already dead. We found the defendant in the same alley, who had been knocked unconscious by the wrench. He was holding the murder weapon in his hand."

The judge nodded.

"That makes sense. Mr. Wright, you may begin your cross-examination."

Phoenix mulled over Gumshoe's testimony.

"Detective, what was the distance between myself and the victim?"

"About fifteen feet, pal."

"Exactly." Phoenix grinned in triumph. "And just how big is this knife?"

"Gee, I dunno. Mr. Edgeworth?"

"About ten inches…"

"I think the court understands my point," declared Phoenix. "How could I have possibly killed the victim from fifteen feet away if the weapon was only ten inches long? Not to mention, a wrench is about the same size. She could not possibly have hit me from there!"

"Objection!" protested Edgeworth. "It is apparent that after you stabbed her, she hit you with the wrench and stumbled away before collapsing!"

"OBJECTION!" retorted Phoenix. Edgeworth sighed briefly at Wright's need to yell everything. "You are contradicting the witness's testimony, Edgeworth! After she was stabbed, the victim would have bled profusely. However, the only blood discovered was pooled around her! There was no trail of blood that would suggest movement!"

The crowd muttered. The gavel banged against the podium.

"Mr. Edgeworth, do you have any objections to the defense's statement?" asked the judge.

Edgeworth shook his head and smirked.

"I would prefer to let my witness do the talking for me." He took a deep breath. "The prosecution -"

"Hold it," Phoenix said weakly. His stomach felt rather odd. "The defense requests a recess."

The judge nodded. "Granted." He slammed his gavel. "This court will now adjourn for a thirty-minute recess. In that time, Mr. Edgeworth, you will prepare your witness."

Edgeworth bowed. Phoenix gritted his teeth. He hated that cocky bow, too.

March 26

9:40 A.M.

Defense Lobby

Fifteen minutes left.

Phoenix drummed his fingers on his knees - one of the few things he could do in the damned handcuffs.

His stomach had settled down a bit. What had that been about, anyways? Nervousness? Or was it seeing Edgeworth so cool and collected, acting as if he didn't remember those carefree days that they had spent on the field, whether they were kicking a ball around (Larry's idea), gazing at the clouds (Phoenix's idea), or reading (Miles' idea). That field held a lot of memories.

_He reminisced about the time that Larry was certain that the small white butterflies that fluttered around them were actually secret cameras, designed to observe them and then drink their blood. He remembered the day when Miles was actually willing to play a game with them, but all they did was run around and throw rocks at each other. Nonetheless, when recess was over, Miles was laughing, ignoring the large grass stain on his carefully kept shorts, and the scrape on his forehead. Phoenix vaguely remembered Gregory Edgeworth's smile when he saw his son and Phoenix playfully pushing each other, Phoenix's already spiky hair in an indescribable state, and Miles' knees covered with dirt._

"_Now, didn't I tell you that you could have fun once in a while?" he said, patting his shoulder._

_Miles looked up at his father, eyes widening in innocence._

"_But, father... I_ like_ reading."_

The memory slowly faded from Phoenix's mind as he entered reality once more, and realized that the handcuffs were cutting into his wrists.

March 26

9:55 A.M.

Courtroom No. 2

"This court will now reconvene for the trial of Mr. Phoenix Wright."

Edgeworth glanced at Phoenix, who seemed to be lost in thought. A small smile crossed the defense attorney's face.

"When Mr. Wright wakes up, I would like to call my next witness," he said, raising his voice slightly.

Phoenix jumped.

"Uh... sorry. Go ahead."

The judge shook his head.

"This is highly unprofessional behavior, Mr. Wright. Continue this, and you will be penalized."

Miles glanced at a paper on his desk.

"The prosecution would like to call Ms. Rosa Sunberg to the stand."

They waited as the witness was brought into the room. She was a tiny woman, with large green eyes, glasses, and black hair that was cropped in a bob. Her timid expression caused the judge's face to soften, while Phoenix grumbled about the easily swayed males in the courtroom. She hesitantly pulled at a sleeve of her green sweatshirt.

"Witness. Name and profession."

"I-I-" she stammered, trembling.

"Name. And. Profession." Edgeworth slammed his desk.

"Well, aren't we polite, Mr. Frilly Pink Lawyer," she snapped. "Excuse me for getting nervous when the man who tried to kill me is mere feet away."

Edgeworth's eyes narrowed into evil slits. He leaned heavily on his forearm.

"Name," he growled. "Profession. Now."

"F-fine," stuttered the witness. "My name is Rosa Sunberg. I am a waitress at Lori's Diner, on James Avenue."

"Very well," the judge nodded. "Witness, please testify about what you saw."

Rosa nodded.

"I was walking along the street when I heard a commotion. I was curious, so I investigated. Then… I saw that spiky-haired man with a really big knife… he was standing over a dead woman. Then, he noticed me… and…" She started crying. "H-he tried to kill me too!" she gasped out, pointing at Phoenix.

The crowd murmured among themselves. The judge whacked his gavel frantically.

"Hmm... everything fits so far. Could you explain in a bit more detail exactly _how_ he assaulted you?"

Rosa looked at him with mild distaste.

"Naturally, he tried to stab me… I tried to grab the knife out of his hand, but he was just too strong… I ran away, and I don't know what happened next…"

"Very well, Mr. Wright," the judge nodded. "You may begin your cross-examination."

"Thank you, Your Honor," Phoenix replied. "Ms. Sunberg, where exactly was the woman, in the alleyway?"

"In the back, near you…"

"Thank you. And how far away was she?"

"A-about five feet..."

Phoenix smirked.

"How can that be? I was discovered around fifteen feet from the victim, _unconscious!"_

Rosa winced.

"W-well, there was a wrench in her hand… I remember now. You probably stumbled away after trying to kill me, then fell unconscious… you were hit in the head, correct?"

"Why would I go further into the alley? If I were the killer, I would want to leave the scene as soon as possible! That particular alley leads to a dead end! It would make no sense for me to stick around! Not to mention the fact that I would be leaving a witness! Why didn't I chase after you?!"

The crowd began arguing amongst themselves.

"Enough!" The gavel pounded against the podium. "Witness! Would you care to explain these events?"

"I don't know what the deal is! I saw what I saw, and I'm positive that man was the killer!"

"All right. Care to explain why, if I tried to kill you, I did not fall unconscious at the _entrance_ to the alley?"

Rosa twisted a lock of hair around her finger.

"I-I'm not - why is everybody staring at me like that?!" A single tear dripped down her nose. "I'm not the bad guy here, I swear it! P-please..."

Phoenix pointed at her.

"Rosa Sunberg, I accuse _you_ of the murder of Shannon Norima!"

Rosa pushed her glasses up with one finger.

"And where is the evidence to back up that accusation, Mr. Wright?" she inquired.

"Objection!" Edgeworth yelled, banging a hand on the desk. "_I_ was supposed to ask that!"

Phoenix raised his eyebrows at Edgeworth. The judge followed suit.

"I suggest that you beat me to the punch, Mr. Frilly Pink Man, if you wish to do your job properly," sniffed Rosa.

The eyelid twitched.

"...Continue," the prosecutor growled.

"The witness has a point, Mr. Wright. Where is your evidence?"

"Well, um, yes... now, I have here a record from the local optometrist's clinic," stated Phoenix. "This states that you bought a new pair of glasses the day after the murder."

"What of it?" Rosa raised her eyebrows.

"I find that a bit suspicious, as we found a glasses earpiece clutched in the victim's hand," Phoenix continued.

"That is, again, mere coincidence, Mr. Wright," Rosa replied.

"Hmm. I hardly think so."

"Mr. Edgeworth," the judge said, "would you care to elaborate on this earpiece?"

"The earpiece in question bears teeth marks. We have run several tests, and concluded that the marks are not that of the witness, nor the victim's, or even Mr. Wright's. The identity of the chewer remains a mystery."

"I see." The judge nodded, brooding over this new development, glanced at Phoenix. "Proceed."

"I would like to present a theory," Phoenix declared. "Rosa Sunberg attacked the victim. The victim grabbed at her and pulled her glasses off, breaking them. Ms. Norima then proceeded to take out the wrench and try to hit Ms. Sunberg, but the witness stabbed the victim, who immediately collapsed. Ms. Sunberg then took Ms. Norima's wrench and spotted me. Needing a scapegoat, she knocked me unconscious with the wrench and dragged me close to the victim, but… not close enough, Ms. Sunberg."

"Objection! That is a ridiculous idea! What proof do you have?!" Edgeworth demanded.

"W-what?!"

"He's right. You can't prove that the earpiece was mine," smirked Rosa, twirling her hair around her finger. "Therefore, you can't declare me guilty."

Phoenix winced. She was right.

"I-I-"

Miles, for once, could not meet his eye.

"Enough. I believe I have enough information to declare my verdict." The judge gazed around the courtroom. "This court finds the defendant, Mr. Phoenix Wright, _guil-"_

"OBJECTION!"

Phoenix froze. He knew that voice. Instinctively, he ducked and covered his head with his hands as Franziska von Karma threw open the door. She was followed by Ema, who yelled "OBJECTION!" and pointed at the witness.

"Oh... did you already say it? Darn," she muttered, just as Maya crashed into her, knocking her over. As the two tried to get up, Pearl tripped over them, followed by Larry, who accidentally bumped Franziska, leaving them all in a heap on the floor.

"Hey! Get off!"

"Aww, I wanted to do the pointy finger!"

"Excuse me..."

"Whoa, this is like a total orgy!"

"YOU _FOOLS!"_ Crack.

The other four sat there, tears welling in their eyes at the pain of the infamous whip. Franziska ignored them and strode up to the witness's platform, pushing Rosa aside.

"Your Honor, we have evidence."

"Do you now?" the judge asked, eyes wide.

"No, I lied, you fool," Franziska snapped, rolling her eyes. "On a thorough search of Ms. Sunberg's house, we found something very interesting." She turned to Rosa. "Ms. Sunberg, do you, by any chance, have any pets?"

"Yes," she affirmed. "I have four cats." A sparkle came to her eyes, and she whipped out her wallet. "Wanna see some pictures? This is Reese, and this is Misty, and this is Bandito, and - "

"Objection!"

"SHUT UP, FRILLY MAN! And this is Jason! Aren't they just _adorable_?!" she squealed.

"Do any of them like to chew on things, by any chance?" Franziska inquired.

"Yes. Bandito chews on my stuff all the time... oh, crap."

Franziska slammed a medium-sized white object on the table.

"This is a lotion dispenser. It bears teeth marks on the narrow parts. Further tests revealed that the teeth marks are identical to those on the earpiece. Therefore, I believe we can conclude that these marks came from the same source - namely, the house of Ms. Rosa Sunberg!" By now, Rosa was nearly ripping her hair out. Seeing the judge's glare, she sighed.

"Well, if I must, I must." Rosa slowly stood up. "That blackmailing bitch… she was completely manipulating me… I owed her a considerable amount of money, and she used the debt to take total control of my life. I was basically a slave until I paid off the debt. After I paid it off, she threatened me with the welfare of my friends… my family… my cats. I had to continue working for her. I couldn't take it anymore, so I stole a knife from the kitchen of the restaurant and cornered her near a favorite store of hers… She pulled a wrench out of her purse and attempted to strike me, but I managed to take it and stab her with the knife… and you know the rest." Rosa turned to Phoenix and gave him a wry smile. "Guess you're as good as they say you are." She looked at Edgeworth. "...You have fun with your gay neck frills."

"Damn," Larry muttered. "My kind of girl, and she turns out to be a murderer." Edgeworth glared at him as Rosa Sunberg was lead out.

"Well," the judge stuttered, "I certainly didn't expect this case to be resolved so quickly..."

"The verdict, if you please, Your Honor," said Edgeworth.

"This court finds the defendant, Mr. Phoenix Wright... _not guilty_."

March 26

11:00 A.M.

Defense Lobby

"Thanks, guys," were the first words out of Phoenix's mouth.

"Hmph. Don't think I was doing it for you," sniffed Franziska, adjusting her left glove. "If you were dead, how could I defeat you and let the whole world know of my victory?"

"Man, that was close," Maya grinned.

"Hey, pal!" Detective Gumshoe greeted, slapping Phoenix on the back. "Great work! And here I thought this was gonna be a tough one!"

"It would have been, if you guys hadn't done that unauthorized investigation," chuckled Phoenix.

"Unauthorized? You've got it wrong, Mr. Wright," smiled Ema.

"Huh?"

Phoenix saw a flash of maroon out of the corner of his eye, and he turned his head away, not seeing the flash of hurt in his friend's eyes.

"You mad, pal?"

"...A bit bitter."

Larry smirked and leaned close to Phoenix's ear.

"Well, who do you think it was that told us to search that woman's house?"


	11. Chapter 11

I don't understand this site sometimes.

I tried to update I don't know HOW many times... but it wouldn't let me!

Then I discovered the wonders of copy and paste. Sorry, I'm a dumbass sometimes. :D

Ugh, I've had so much summer homework. What a pain. That and marching band season.

I'm late for my afternoon nap, so I'll just end this here. Now that I know how to work this thing, the updates will be much more frequent.

Thank you all for your support. Enjoy! :)

Chapter 11

March 26

12:00 P.M.

Burger Joint

"YAAAYYY, BURGERS!"

"Maya, settle down," Phoenix groaned as the seven of them squeezed into the booth. The unfortunate Detective Gumshoe was stuck between Franziska von Karma and the wall. The former kept ordering him to scoot over, and if the wall was in his way, then he should knock it down and build a new one that did not hinder their seating arrangements.

Phoenix was a bit troubled. There was enough room on his side for one more person. He knew who should be joining them, but he felt... a bit guilty. If it had not been for Miles, he would have been in jail right now. Pearl poked him.

"Mr. Nick... there's no need to be upset. I'm sure Mr. Edgeworth understands. Come on. You're making Ema depressed." Phoenix glanced at Ema, who gave him puppy eyes. He snickered slightly, feeling a bit better. "There you go," smiled Pearl. "See? Don't worry about it."

Ema grinned happily.

"This food is taking forever," she complained, although her voice was cheerful. "Let's play I Spy! I'll start. I spy with my little eye... something... spiky!"

"Ooh! It's Nick!" Maya volunteered, punching him lightly. Pearl looked at her, confused, then punched him as well, although not quite as gently.

"Did I do it right?" she asked, her wide brown eyes shining hopefully as Phoenix rubbed his arm. "That's what you do, isn't it? Punch whatever you were thinking of?" Ema finished inquiring as to how Maya had guessed her ultimate riddle, and grinned at Pearl.

"Yep! And if it's a person, you punch them three times!"

"Ema! Ow ow ow!!"

...

March 26

12:20 P.M.

High Prosecutor's Office

Edgeworth tapped his pen on his desk in a rhythmic fashion, unable to concentrate, which was rare for him. He brushed his grey bangs out of his eyes and leaned back in his chair, sighing. At least there was no Detective Gumshoe to further interrupt him by slamming the door to his office, as he had a bit of a headache. It was bad enough that a small child had knocked him over on the street while playing tag with his sister. Then, that annoying photographer with the... unusually styled hair had popped up in front of him and started yammering away, discreetly taking shots when she thought he wasn't looking.

'Larry should be asking her about her poofy hair instead of my "gay neck frills". They'd be great for each other.' He grinned slightly. Poor Larry.

Things got worse when he ran into a certain security lady, who told him that she was planning on becoming a bailiff for the courthouse.

"So I can be closer to you, Edgey-poo!" she had gushed, eyes shimmering. Edgeworth then muttered something about the Chief Prosecutor needing him and brushed past her, fighting the urge to dash away from her as quickly as possible.

He was interrupted from his thoughts by a slight clearing of the throat. Opening his eyes, he saw a brown-haired woman with a red muffler looking sternly at him.

"Ah, Ms. Skye. Terribly sorry. I was a bit... preoccupied."

She sighed.

"Miles... you haven't been yourself lately. Although it is not affecting your performance, I expect you to be more focused on your work."

He nodded, but Lana noticed that he still seemed... different. "Miles. It's Mr. Wright, isn't it?"

Edgeworth's eyes snapped fully open, muscles tensing slightly.

"What... do you mean?"

Lana smiled at him, her brow relaxing.

"You were upset about having to prosecute your friend. I know you, Miles. You're upset because he's angry with you." As Edgeworth opened his mouth to deny this, Lana looked away. "You need to trust others, Miles. They will help you. They are your friends."

Edgeworth grinned wryly.

"Pardon me for saying so, Ms. Skye, but I believe that all I need to do is lie down on the couch over there and hang a plaque on your door. 'Lana Skye, P.H.D.'"

She laughed, a merry sound that cheered Edgeworth up a bit.

"Miles. You can't hide from him. You know he'll just hunt you down. Besides, I have to punish you for your little investigation stunt. You are hereby banished from the office for today. I expect you to be more than productive tomorrow, Mr. Edgeworth."

Edgeworth stood up and grabbed his jacket.

"Um... thank you, Ms. Skye."

Lana's face grew stern, though her eyes were still twinkling with humor.

"Mr. Edgeworth. This is a punishment, and I expect you to take it seriously."

"Yes, Ms. Skye." With those parting words, he pushed open the door to his office and left. The Chief Prosecutor sighed heavily.

'So I was right... but I won't let him get away with slacking off. Tomorrow, he gets twice as much paperwork.' She nodded, having made that decision, and took her leave of the High Prosecutor's Office.

March 26

12:45 P.M.

Burger Joint

Phoenix sighed as he absentmindedly played tic-tac-toe with Maya on a napkin, using the crayons that Pearl had been given. Gumshoe was so squished, he was practically two-dimensional, while Franziska shot Larry a dirty look across the table.

"What did I do?!" he pleaded.

"You have been such a fool as to foolishly exist. Be quiet."

Ema carefully took notes. Maya leaned over the table to read them.

'Pearl seems to be consoling Mr. Wright.'

'Ms. von Karma appears to be flirting with Detective Gumshoe.'

_'Larry is writing more smut on a napkin. Would tape it in here, but it is similar in content to previous story.'_

Maya looked at Ema, eyebrows raised. Ema had put her glasses on, looking rather like an alien.

"Through my acute scientific observing, I have deduced that Mr. Edgeworth has arrived!" she declared.

Phoenix's head whirled around so fast that Maya was surprised he didn't snap his neck. Pearl slipped into her seat, followed by Edgeworth's sliding next to Phoenix.

"E...Edgeworth?" croaked Phoenix, unable to say anything else.

"Again stating the obvious."

"Um...yeah... about that...yeah."

Edgeworth smirked.

"Eloquent as always." he replied smugly. "But I think I get the gist of it."

They sat in silence for a bit as the food was delivered. Maya immediately grabbed hers and started eating.

"Di'n yu oder on, Ick?" she asked, cheeks bulging with hamburger.

"No, I didn't. I'm not very hungry," Phoenix muttered.

"LAME!" Maya nearly shouted, having swallowed her mouthful. Phoenix winced as everyone in the restaurant stared at them.

"Maya..." he groaned, trying to avoid the eyes of the other customers. Maya stood up, cramming the last bit of burger into her mouth.

"Okay! Let's go!"

"Go? Go where?"

"My house, silly! Hey, everyone! You're all coming with me!

Edgeworth groaned. 'Maybe Maya would be better for Larry…'

...

March 26

5:00 P.M.

Maya Fey's House

"Well, Maya," yawned Phoenix, stretching his arms. "It's been fun, but I should really get back home."

"Aww, Nick," whined Larry. "It's been so much fun! Don't go yet!" Franziska quickly silenced him with a lash from her whip.

"Be silent, fool. Stop your foolish complaining."

Pearl was already asleep, exhausted from the day's events. Gumshoe was slowly pushing her head off his lap and onto a pillow, while Ema amused herself by picking at the lint on Phoenix's jacket, occasionally taping a piece into her notebook.

"Sorry, Larry, I really have to go," said Phoenix. Edgeworth nodded.

"I must leave as well. Pess is probably hurt that I haven't fed him yet." He glanced at Phoenix. "Need a ride, or have you learned to drive?"

"Uh... yeah."

"Very well. Thank you for your hospitality, Maya." He gave a short wave to everyone before stepping out the door, Phoenix behind him.

...

March 26

5:30 P.M.

Outside Phoenix Wright's Apartment

The two men climbed to the eighteenth story, Phoenix a bit red-faced from the effort. He knew how Edgeworth was around elevators, so he had opted to take the stairs.

Now, Edgeworth was leaning on the balcony as Phoenix fumbled with his keys, walking up to the door. He stopped, noticing a small slip of paper that had been taped to the front. Ripping it off and peering closely at it, he groaned. He really needed to earn some money.

The defense attorney sighed, picking up the two suitcases that had been neatly packed and left outside the door. They contained all of his belongings, mostly clothes that had always managed to get strewn everywhere, as the furniture was already in the apartment when he had moved in.

"Wright? What's the matter?" Miles took the paper from him and scanned it, raising an eyebrow. "Couldn't afford to pay the landowner, hmm? Where will you stay tonight, if you've been evicted?"

Phoenix didn't know. In a daze, he flipped open his cell phone.

...

March 26

11:45 P.M.

Wright & Co. Law Offices

Phoenix lounged at his desk, struggling to keep his eyes open. He had tried to call Maya and request to stay with her, but Larry made some crack about a man in the same house as two young girls. Gumshoe had mentioned that Maya was, technically, over the minimum age of consent, and it had all gone downhill from there. He had tried Larry's place, but even he, the infamously disorganized Phoenix Wright, could only take so much mess. Next, he had checked with Gumshoe, whose living conditions weren't much better than a cardboard box. He couldn't exactly stay with the Skyes, as Larry would make the same "joke", and he didn't dare ask Franziska or Miles.

That left his office.

He put his pen and legal pad down and stumbled into the waiting room, strange-looking now that it was dark and quiet. The couch would probably be an okay bed. He changed into the tank top and boxers he usually wore at night and curled up on the couch.

Come morning, he wouldn't remember his rather interesting dream of Wendy Oldbag and Cody Hackins forming a superhero team, with Adrian Andrews and Moe the Clown as the villains.

That was just fine with him.


	12. Chapter 12

Hi guys! -waves-

It's an update!

I am still lazing around in my pajamas, sadly... I was up late last night. Birthday parties do that to you. :)

And now I have a mess to clean up and summer homework to do.

Joy.

Okay. Some notes about this chapter.

Toward the end of the chapter, Phoenix's behavior will seem over-the-top, like I was doing a terrible job of exaggerating things. The explanation for this, however, can be found in the dialogue at the very end of the chapter. Just go with the flow, okay?

Thankfully, I can get away with some tiny things because this is supposedly the future, and medicine and technology have improved. Yay!

Um. Anyways.

Thank you all for your reviews, and I'm so sorry that I made a few of you think I had abandoned this story. I most certainly have not, as I have several more chapters done in a rough format.

Enjoy!

Chapter 12

April 2

8:00 A.M.

Wright & Co. Law Offices

Miles Edgeworth had a file to deliver to Phoenix Wright. He wished to drop it off quickly and get back to work...

So why had Wright opened the door wearing a tank top and boxers, in desperate need of a hairbrush and a shave, with a toothbrush clenched between his teeth?

As soon as Phoenix saw his visitor, he mumbled something that sounded like "Oh, shit" and slammed the door in Edgeworth's face. Edgeworth heard the buzzing of an electric razor, the frantic scrubbing of a toothbrush, and the rustle of fabric. Phoenix opened the door again, and Edgeworth said nothing, only handing him his magenta hairbrush and pointing at his unzipped pants. The defense attorney panicked, slammed the door shut again, and yanked the brush through his unruly hair, zipping up his pants. He opened the door again, a bit out of breath, and motioned for Edgeworth to come in.

"So," Edgeworth remarked airily, setting the folder on Wright's desk, "you never found a place to stay, hmm?"

Phoenix shook his head, embarrassed.

"No, not really."

Edgeworth grunted.

"I would suggest taking a case soon, Wright. You didn't exactly get any pay from the last defendant," he smirked as he exited. Phoenix stared dumbly after him.

"Wait - but - oh yeah."

...

April 2

8:30 A.M.

Room 202

Franziska von Karma had had enough of this foolish tension. Every foolish moment between those two foolishly held so many foolish sparks that those fools were going to break down if she didn't do something. She guessed that Scruffy and that foolish Harry Butz were in on this with those foolishly snooping girls. They needed some refinement. They were foolishly being much too obvious. If Miles Edgeworth foolishly thought that foolishly pining after that foolish Phoenix Wright and foolishly not saying anything was the right thing, he had another think coming. It was foolishly distracting him from his work. This irritated Franziska. She paced around her hotel room, occasionally whipping some of the foolish furniture.

Being a von Karma, she was not a fool. She knew that this foolish emotion called "love" could not dissipate easily. Her papa had warned her never to fall in love.

"It makes you a sentimental idiot," he had said. From what Franziska had heard, Manfred von Karma had not been perfect while her mother was alive. Of course, she had never believed this until she saw an old picture of her papa and her mother... smiling foolishly. Seconds later, he had ripped the picture from her hands.

"Do not think about her. She is a memory from my imperfect past... and she died from my then-imperfect driving," he had barked as she cowered. "Get up! You are a von Karma! If I vowed to be perfect from then on, then you are surely able to do that as well!"

Franziska sighed. Foolish memories.

There was only one other way to get him to concentrate. After all, what good would surpassing him be if it was too easy?

And that was not to destroy the foolish affection. If the great Manfred von Karma had been unable to free himself from love, then these fools would not be able to either. No, her job was to foolishly create a foolish couple. That should stop Miles Edgeworth's foolish longing, and prove that even the great Miles Edgeworth could be manipulated. Oh, how she wished she could inform him of his ever-nearing defeat.

Making her decision, she coiled the whip around her hand with a flick of her wrist and headed toward that Fey girl's house.

...

April 2

8:45 P.M.

Maya Fey's House

The doorbell resounded throughout the house. Rubbing her eyes, Maya padded over to answer it. When she opened the door, she was greeted by the sight of an extremely irritated nineteen-year-old.

"Maya Fey!" Franziska announced, pushing past Maya into the house. "I have come to perfect your plan of pairing those foolish fools together. This shall be yet another victory of the von Karma household..."

As Franziska continued to recite her lecture, Maya motioned for Pearl, who had been watching, to call Ema. This was quite a development.

"MAYA FEY! ARE YOU LISTENING?!" The whip cracked against the floor. Maya jumped a few inches into the air before facing the prosecutor warily. "Better. Now, you fools are being much too obvious... but you are also not being forceful enough!" She snapped her whip for emphasis. "A von Karma always finishes everything as soon as possible! This foolish little game has dragged on for far too long!"

"So... what do you propose we do?" Maya asked.

Franziska grinned, an evil little grin that made Maya shiver slightly.

"I have had enough of your foolish spying. Have you ever heard of the term 'blackmail'?"

"Ms. von Karma! We can't do that!"

"And why not?"

They were interrupted by the doorbell, which rang several times. Pearl dashed over and opened it.

"Hi, Miss Ema! Oh, it's Mr. Larry and Detective Gumshoe! How are you?" She beckoned for the trio to come in. As soon as Gumshoe saw Franziska, he immediately turned around and bolted for the door. Franziska, without blinking, snapped the whip, which curled around his ankle. She pulled the whip toward herself, dragging the defenseless detective back inside.

"As I was saying," she stated, "if this is to succeed, then we must be forceful. I am weary of watching them stare at each other like foolish, love-starved puppies."

"Finally, someone who agrees with me!" Larry exclaimed. "So let's use my idea and get it over with!"

"NO!" everyone yelled.

"I hardly believe that anyone of your caliber could come up with anything worthy of my time," snorted Franziska.

"But we can't blackmail them!" protested Maya.

Pearl finally spoke up.

"Umm… should we… leave the office, and have Mr. Edgeworth deliver Mr. Nick's paperwork? Detective Gumshoe can pass on the message."

"We can try," mused Larry. "And then… we lock them in the office, and leave them to – "

"NO!" the group shouted again. Larry slumped and muttered to himself.

"Let's try it!" grinned Ema, standing up. "So… two o'clock good for you guys?"

"Yeah, pal," nodded Gumshoe.

"I suppose the plan is worth a trial run," Franziska said.

"Or," Larry interrupted, "we could make the paperwork have a hidden love note inside!"

Maya sighed.

"That wouldn't work. As soon as they talked, they would know that we planted it. Besides, I don't want to know what your idea of a 'love note' is."

They departed then, Franziska's whip "encouraging" them to walk faster.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

April 2

1:45 P.M.

High Prosecutor's Office

"Hey, Mr. Edgeworth," greeted Detective Gumshoe as he strode into Edgeworth's office.

"Good afternoon, detective," replied Edgeworth, glancing up at him before returning to his paperwork.

Gumshoe scratched his head.

"Uh, Mr. Wright needs that GS-3 file…" The radio in his pocket started beeping. He pulled it out and pressed a button, and a man's panicked voice filled the office.

"Hey, ya gotta help me! There's this crazy girl chasing after me with a…" The radio crackled and fell silent.

"Whoa, gotta go! You think you could deliver that file yourself, pal? Thanks." Before Edgeworth had a chance to respond, Gumshoe dashed from the room, slamming the door behind him.

Edgeworth sighed.

'I could have sworn I already delivered that file…' Scanning his shelf, his eyes locked on a haphazardly stashed folder, labeled "GS-3". Pulling the file out, he put on his magenta coat and made his way down to the parking garage. 'Why couldn't Wright have picked it up himself?…'

………………………………………………………………………………………………

April 2

2:00 P.M.

Wright & Co. Law Offices

"Wright. I believe you needed this?"

Phoenix opened his eyes, picking his head up off his desk.

"Huh?… Edge…worth?…"

Miles put the file on the corner of Phoenix's desk.

"Why so tired, Wright?"

"He's been sleeping all the time since he moved here…" Maya sighed, as Phoenix closed his eyes again. "That couch isn't very comfortable."

Pearl touched Phoenix on the shoulder, worry in her large brown eyes.

"Thank you for dropping the file off, Mr. Edgeworth. Sorry to bother you."

Miles nodded.

"Don't worry about it." He noted the dark circles under Phoenix's eyes, and the way his clothes seemed slightly too big for him. "Has he lost weight?"

Maya frowned.

"I hadn't noticed, but maybe… has he eaten?"

"Maybe he spent too much money on your burgers," Miles commented, smirking a bit. Maya gasped.

"M-maybe you're right… he said that he needed to take out a loan from the bank…" She stroked Phoenix's spiky hair, then whirled to face Miles. "That's it! He's moving in with you!"

"What?!" Miles' grey eyes widened slightly. "That's… not a good idea…"

Pearl slapped him.

"Mr. Edgeworth! Don't you care?! Mr. Nick hasn't slept in a bed for a long time, and he hasn't even eaten much! Would you just leave your special som- I mean, friend… to waste away?!" She then became very interested in her sandals. "Please, Mr. Edgeworth… take care of him…"

Miles blinked, then gazed at the exhausted Phoenix Wright.

"…I'll let him stay for tonight."

"Yay! Thank you, Mr. Edgeworth!" Pearl cried, hugging him, then stepping back quickly. "Sorry…" Maya grasped Phoenix under the arms and hauled him out of the chair.

"You're the one with the car," she gasped out, slowly dragging Phoenix to the door. "You drive him." Phoenix's blue eyes flickered open.

"Hey… what's… Maya… lemme go…" He struggled slightly, but gave up when Pearl kicked his leg a bit.

"Nope!" Maya chirped. "You're moving in with Mr. Edgeworth! Pearl, grab his suitcase, will you?" With much effort, Pearl hoisted the heavy suitcase after them, while Edgeworth trailed behind.

"Maya…" Phoenix muttered, a slight blush spreading over his cheeks. "I don't want to be a bother to Miles…" His eyes flickered closed as a loud growl emanated from his stomach.

"He'll be glad to have you. Now be quiet. It's not easy dragging you." Edgeworth opened the door to his shiny red car as Maya's arms gave way, Phoenix's head slamming against the asphalt. "Oh my God! Nick!"

Phoenix rubbed his head, wincing.

"Way to nearly give me a concussion again, Maya. A little help?" Edgeworth bent down to pull Phoenix into the car.

"You can fasten your own seatbelt," he remarked, shutting the door and putting the suitcase in the back.

"Don't worry, Mr. Nick! We'll take care of everything!" Pearl called as the car pulled out of the parking lot. Maya grinned as Pearl turned to her. "I'm sorry, Mystic Maya, but I don't understand what you did to his coffee earlier… that's what made him so tired and weak, right?"

Maya pulled out a small white bottle and grinned. "I used the magic of extra-strength sleeping pills, Pearly."

"Wow! Magic? Really?!"

Maya laughed.


	13. Chapter 13

Bwahaha. My first week of school is FINISHED!

Aaaaaand I have homework. I figured that I might as well update for you guys, though. ;)

Thank you again for all of your kind reviews! You guys are awesome and I love you all.

Enjoy!

Chapter 13

April 2

2:15 P.M.

Miles Edgeworth's House

Miles gazed at the sleeping man in his car.

"Wright. Wake up."

Phoenix's eyes blearily flickered open.

"Get yourself out of the car. The guest room is down the hall from my room. Don't get too comfortable. You're getting kicked out tomorrow morning. Make yourself something to eat. I have to go back to work."

"O…kay…" Phoenix groaned, then scooted out of his seat, standing on wobbly legs and following Edgeworth to the guest room, where he collapsed onto the dark green bed and closed his eyes.

Edgeworth sighed and reflected on the strange occurrence in his office. That voice on the radio had sounded familiar… Shaking it off, he locked the front door and returned to his car.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

April 2

2:30 P.M.

Criminal Affairs Department

"How'd I do?" Larry beamed.

"Great, pal! Mr. Edgeworth never suspected a thing!"

"That's good, but… Franny, did you really have to whip me? Ow!"

"You will address me by my proper name, you bumbling fool," snapped Franziska, the handle of the whip taut in her hand. "And yes, I did. Authenticity is the key to perfection."

"All right," grinned Detective Gumshoe. "Let's see how this turns out."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

April 2

5:30 P.M.

Miles Edgeworth's House

"Ugh," Phoenix moaned, sitting up and rubbing his head. Opening his eyes, he saw an unfamiliar room.

'What the hell?… Oh, right.'

Stumbling into the kitchen, he rummaged through Edgeworth's refrigerator. He felt like he hadn't eaten in weeks, though it had only been a few days. Knowing that it wouldn't be wise to eat very much right away, he pulled out some bread and put two slices in the toaster. As he pushed down the lever, he heard the jingling of keys, and the sound of a door opening.

"Wright?…"

"Hey, Edgeworth," he called. The aforementioned prosecutor followed the sound of his voice into the kitchen. Setting down his briefcase, he pulled out a chair and sat at the table.

"I assume you slept well?"

"Yeah," Phoenix replied, yawning. "Thanks. You didn't have to."

Edgeworth snorted.

"At least you didn't make too much of a mess in my absence."

The toast popped up, and Phoenix put the two slices on a small dish and began slathering them with peanut butter. Feeling a small weight on his leg, he looked down to see Pess, whose paws were pressed against Phoenix's thigh.

"Sorry, Pess. I'm eating all of this," Phoenix grinned, carrying his food to the table and sitting down across from Edgeworth, who watched with slight amusement as the defense attorney wolfed down the toast, getting peanut butter smeared on his cheek. Finally, he finished, and leaned back with a sigh. His friend passed him a napkin and pointed to his cheek.

"Oh, thanks," Phoenix muttered, slightly embarrassed. Rubbing at the offending blob, he inquired, "Seriously. Why did you help me? It's… not like you."

Edgeworth looked at his folded hands.

"Pearl and Maya insisted. You should really inform Pearl that violence is rarely the answer."

Phoenix laughed, remembering the times when Pearl had punched him.

"Only if you tell your sister the same thing."

"Believe me, I've tried," smirked Edgeworth. "She responded in her usual manner."

Phoenix winced as he recalled Franziska's lashings.

"By the way… that file you delivered… which one was it? I don't recall needing anything…"

Miles narrowed his eyes in puzzlement.

"The GS-3 file, although I'm fairly sure I already delivered it. I found it stuffed in my bookcase."

"You did deliver it. A few weeks ago, I think. How did it get back in your office?"

Miles shrugged.

"Don't ask me. The detective was the one who wanted me to deliver it."

"But how would he know – "

"Unless – "

The two looked at each other in comprehension. Phoenix's blue eyes widened, a trait Miles found endearing.

_'No! Shut up!'_ he mentally told himself. _'Not now!'_

"Miles? You okay?"

"Yeah," he moaned. "It's just… they were setting us up, weren't they? They wanted you to move in with me."

"I'm pretty sure," frowned Phoenix, a small crease appearing in his forehead, "but why?"

………………………………………………………………………………………………

April 2

6:00 P.M.

Maya Fey's House

Maya sighed and drummed her fingers on the table, holding the phone up to her ear.

"No, Nick, we're not planning anything," she insisted for what seemed like the billionth time. "We were just worried about you. I don't know anything about that file. I thought he had delivered it too." She listened to the steadily rising voice on the other end. "Well, I'm not sure. You'll have to ask him. But, Nick… is it really so bad, living with Mr. Edgeworth?" She grinned at the stuttered protests on the other line. "Uh-huh. Just one night. Sure. Got it. No, I'm not going anywhere with this. Come on, you know me better than that!" A scowl crossed her face as she heard a sarcastic comment grumbled by Phoenix. "Hey, that is totally unjustified! Now please, make sure that you and Mr. Edgeworth don't wake up the neighbors tonight. See ya." She pressed the "off" button on the telephone and replaced it on the register. Knowing Nick, he would be staring at the phone, confused, and say something like "What the hell was she implying?" Humming the Steel Samurai theme song cheerfully, she returned to her favorite childhood manga that she was reading, a rather exciting story about a student who gained a mysterious power that slowly corrupted his mind. She had forgotten everything but the basic plot, so it was fun to read it again._ 'I wish someone would make a Steel Samurai manga…'_

………………………………………………………………………………………………

April 2

6:01 P.M.

Miles Edgeworth's House

Phoenix stared at the phone in his hand, confused.

"What the hell was she implying?" he asked it, placing it on the coffee table. A pointed glare from Edgeworth, who was reading the newspaper, caused him to get up and bring it back to the phone dock before settling back on the couch and putting his legs up on the other end. Miles closed his newspaper, stood up, and set it on his just-used armchair.

"Really, Wright. I'm right here. There's no need to look to the telephone for intelligent conversation. I would have expected it of Larry, but not you, as idiotic as you are at times."

Phoenix raised an eyebrow.

"What did I tell you about calling me Wright?"

"Must you always be hung up over such trivial matters?"

"Must you always provide me with an opportunity?"

They stared at each other for a while before Miles sighed and shoved Phoenix's legs off the couch before sitting down.

"Wright… Phoenix. What do you usually have for dinner?

Phoenix frowned. What an odd question.

"Um… I generally get takeout, or I eat some beans or something. Why?"

Miles shook his head in disgust.

"At least your habits don't mirror the detective's instant noodle fetish. I asked because there has been a… bet, of sorts, about who had the lowest salary between the two of you. Of course, I don't gamble, so I refused to take part, but the rest of the police department has been quite enthusiastic about throwing their money around. Which reminds me, I have to make dinner. Spaghetti will be satisfactory, I assume?"

Phoenix nodded, vowing to find whoever had started the bet and make him regret it. He wasn't so poor as to compare with _Gumshoe_, for crying out loud! He was just… financially challenged. Yes, that was it. Financially challenged.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Phoenix crunched his piece of garlic toast, not remembering the last time that he had eaten so well. Generously covering his spaghetti with parmesan cheese, he grinned at Miles across the table.

"It's really good. Thanks," he said. Miles nodded, pouring himself a glass of wine. Phoenix, noticing this, filled his own glass as well. He was tired of the cheap beer that he usually had.

As Phoenix wolfed down his food, Miles watched the amount of wine in the bottle slowly dwindle down to about half of what it was originally. Phoenix, he noted dryly, could handle his alcohol quite well, merely becoming chattier than he already was. He was slightly loosened up himself, having had two glasses of wine, which was nothing compared to Phoenix's four.

The defense attorney finished his meal and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Aah, that was great! You're a really good cook, Miles. Here, I'll do dishes." He cleared the table rapidly and began running water in the sink.

"Do you even _own_ dishes, Phoenix?"

"Shut up! Sure, I'm not too familiar with all this fancy fragile stuff you've got, but – whoops!" A plate slipped from his hand, but Pess, who had been following him around after Phoenix had given him a bit of garlic bread, caught the dish between his teeth and ran back to Miles, placing it in his hand and wagging his tail.

"Oh, fine," Miles sighed, giving the plate back to Phoenix. Noticing Phoenix's confused glance, he explained, "Pess likes it when I play Frisbee with him about this time every evening. We'll be out back if you need us." He turned around and let his dog out the back door, leaving Phoenix to his own devices.

This was a bad idea, he realized, as he came in about fifteen minutes later. Phoenix was sitting on the couch, one hand wrapped in about ten feet of gauze. The defense attorney winced as he cradled his hand gently in the other hand, looking up at Miles when he sat beside him.

"Your damn garbage disposal tried to eat me," he muttered, adjusting the gauze slightly. Miles rolled his eyes.

"You're a moron, Wright. Let me see." He took the bandaged hand in his own and began unwrapping the bandages. "Did you wash it, at least?"

"Uh… forgot about that," grinned Phoenix sheepishly, rubbing his head. Miles yanked him up and dragged him to the bathroom, making his way to the last layer of gauze. He tugged gently, only to meet with resistance.

"OW! Shit, Miles!"  
"I have to do this, Phoenix. Find something to hold onto, if that helps." Phoenix looked around frantically, then clenched Miles' shoulder as his hand screamed in pain.

Bandages removed, Miles ran some cold water in the sink while examining the large gashes that ran across his friend's hand, which were bleeding profusely. Shoving the hand under the faucet, he rummaged through his medicine cabinet, Phoenix relaxing as the water soothed the pain. Miles then shut off the faucet and gently took Phoenix's hand, rubbing some antibacterial cream on it before wrapping some new gauze around it. "Honestly. What would you do without me to take care of you?" he chided, lifting his gaze, only to find that Phoenix's face was right in front of his. Flushing slightly, he made minor adjustments to the bandages.

Phoenix was very aware that Miles was holding his hand, treating it… almost tenderly. His face rapidly turned a light shade of red, gripping Miles' fingers instinctively as Miles raised his head again.

_'Should I…'_

"Thank you," he whispered, oblivious to Miles' slight shudder.

"Um… you're welcome," Miles stuttered, his hot breath raising goosebumps on Phoenix's skin.

Phoenix gulped audibly, his flush becoming deeper as butterflies twirled in his stomach.

_'It's now or never,'_ he thought, beginning to lean towards Miles' inviting face.


	14. Chapter 14

I am going to be evil here. Or I could blame it on stupid Larry, who is my favorite character to write.

Thank you all so much for everything! Your reviews truly mean a lot to me, and encourage me to keep writing.

Now I am going to pet my fat and grumpy cat. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 14

Phoenix closed his eyes as his face grew closer to Miles'. His heart threatened to jump out of his chest. They were so close… their lips brushed…

The Steel Samurai theme song filled the room, Phoenix's pocket vibrating slightly. Cursing under his breath, he flipped open the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Nick! I was gonna bring some drinks over… you want anything else?"

Snarling, Phoenix ducked into the hallway.

"Larry!" he hissed. "I was busy!"

"Oh ho ho, he's busy," cooed Larry. "What were you doing, hmm? You weren't doing anything… naughty, were you?" he whispered deviously.

As Phoenix stammered, blushing crazily, Larry threw in occasional comments, like "Mm-hmm. Oh, I'm sure. No, no, just a joke." Aside, he yelled, "THEY'RE FUCKING IN THE CLOSET!!"

"LARRY!!"

"Heh, you're right," finished Larry smugly. "Edgey would never stand for a closet. He'd insist on a nice, soft bed."

Jamming the "end" button, Phoenix hurled his phone to the ground, the batteries flying in different directions.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Miles stood, frozen, in the middle of the floor, breathing heavily, face flushed.

_'What… the hell… was that?…'_

Indeed, he wondered, what would have happened if Larry hadn't intervened? What did it mean? Had Phoenix lost his balance or something, or did he really…

'Impossible,' Miles chided himself, regaining a bit of his composure. 'That… would never happen.'

His thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell. Walking over on shaky legs, he pulled at the doorknob, only to be nearly buried in bottles and trays.

"And a Happy New Year!" greeted Larry, stepping over Edgeworth's extremely irritated form. "'Sup, Nick? I got the drinks, and I brought over some brownies, which are to die for! You know, I heard chocolate is supposed to be good for sexual pleasure, so eat up!"

"…You're fast," muttered Phoenix, glaring at his friend.

"Well, I was just down the block with everyone," Larry grinned. "C'mon, we're playing poker!"

"I don't gamble," grumbled Miles, pushing himself to his feet.

"Aww, loosen up, Edgey! After all, it's almost Christmas!"

"…It's April," the latter said, staring at him incredulously.

"Same thing!" replied Larry cheerfully, taking a swig from a bottle. "As long as I get to wear my Santa hat!"

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Phoenix leaned back in his chair, grinning triumphantly. He had always been good at poker, and since Larry was too drunk to know better, he had won quite a bit of his dough, as well as some chocolate chips that Edgeworth had bet in lieu of money.

"Damn!" Larry yelled a little too loudly, slamming his bottle against the table. "I demand a refund… rematch… refund... which is it? Hee hee hee."

"…Right," Miles remarked as Larry giggled. "It's nine-thirty, Larry. Don't you think you should be getting home?"

"Aw, I suppose so," yawned Larry. "I'll see ya around, Edgey. Bye, Nick. Be sure to give me all the juicy details later!" He winked and left, slamming the door behind him.

Phoenix sighed. Why did Larry have a tendency to fixate on these things? Maybe he had obsessive-compulsive disorder, which differed from his previous theory of A.D.D. "Well," he said, pushing himself up and sampling a few chocolate chips, "I'm getting tired, so… uh… goodnight."

"Goodnight," Miles replied, looking up at him while searching for some paper towels. He fastidiously began mopping up the beer that Larry had spilled, wondering why he had tolerated such an intrusion in the first place.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

As Miles headed toward his bedroom, he noticed that Phoenix's light was still on. Poking his head into the room, he smirked at the sight of the defense attorney curled up next to Pess, eyes closed peacefully, his hair already mussed. Stepping quietly so as not to disturb him, he reached under the lampshade and turned the appliance off.

"Sleep well, Phoenix," he murmured. "You won't get much opportunity otherwise."

With that, he padded out of the room, giving Pess a pat on the head before retreating into his own room.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

April 17

9:30 A.M.

Maya Fey's House

"That didn't exactly work," groaned Maya, addressing her assorted company. It had been two weeks since Phoenix moved back into his office, and although he was able to live off of Larry's money, their ultimate goal had not been achieved.

"I should say not. I didn't know he was such a nasty bastard at poker," grumbled Larry.

"Silence, fool," chided Franziska. "You lost. It was just a game. Make more money if you so desire it."

Ema frowned, thoughtfully tapping her chin with her pencil.

"So now what should we do?"

Everyone looked at her.

"I can't think of anything, pal," said Gumshoe sheepishly.

"I'm very sorry, but I can't either," Pearl added, biting her thumbnail.

"Pearly, that's not good for your nails," Maya reminded her. "So... there's no Plan B? What do we do, then? Just… give up?…"

Franziska ran a hand through her hair, reclining on the sofa.

"Such a shame. I must defeat that fool in court, and this is not making it any easier."

A silence followed her words as everyone but the detective started to think. Gumshoe himself was staring at the young prosecutor, a wide grin slowly beginning to spread across his face.

"What?" Franziska snapped.

"Ms. von Karma… you are a genius."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

April 17

12:00 P.M.

The Judge's House

Franziska von Karma stood on the front step with her allies, tapping her foot impatiently. She had gone through so much trouble for these fools, even going so far as to locate the whereabouts of that idiotic judge. As luck would have it, he had not been summoned to preside over a trial today.

Although she had been assisting Phoenix Wright's little friends, her motive remained consistent. She was not doing this to make those fools happy. No, she was doing it to avenge her defeat, which seemed so long ago. If Mr. Phoenix Wright was focused, then his defeat would be all the more rewarding. She would not fail in her goal. She was, after all, a von Karma.

Her eyes shot open as the door opened to reveal the astonished face of the judge, clad in a simple shirt and a pair of slacks.

"Well! Ms. von Karma, and…" He looked around. "Maya Fey, Harry Butz, Ema Skye… and Detective Gumshoe! What a coincidence! Oh, who's this?" he inquired, bending down to Pearl's level as Larry fumed.

"My name is Pearl Fey, sir," she replied.

"Delighted to meet you," the judge smiled, shaking Pearl's hand.

"Uh, Your Honor," began Maya, "we have a favor to ask."

The judge blinked at them for a few seconds.

"Why, certainly!" he said. "Come in, come in! I don't get visitors much, you know…"

A few minutes later, they were all seated at the judge's mahogany table as he poured tea.

"Now, what was it that you wished to ask me?"

Maya took a deep breath.

"See, Ema here is interested in a legal profession, and to help her practice for her chosen occupation, we have organized… a mock trial, of sorts." The judge nodded as Maya took a sip of her tea. "The thing is, we do not have a judge. I was wondering, if we arranged this on a day when you have no work, you might consider the position of our judge, since you're… uh… very professional."

The judge frowned thoughtfully, a few creases appearing on his forehead.

"So this is like… a game?" he finally asked.

"You might say that," Maya replied. Sensing that he needed a little more persuasion, she added, "Of course, there will be refreshments, from none other than Ms. Angel Starr herself." She grinned in satisfaction as the host's eyes lit up.

"Well, I do like games, and food is always a pleasant bonus," he chuckled. "Very well. Send me the details once you have this 'trial' planned out."

"Thank you, Your Honor!" Maya grinned. "I must warn you though… since this is a… game, as you put it, the so-called 'crimes' might be a bit ludicrous, if they are even crimes at all. We haven't decided."

"Don't worry, Miss Fey. I'm used to it," the judge winked. They all rose, Larry gulping the remaining tea in his cup.

"Great! We'll see you later, then!" Maya waved to the judge as she ran down the steps, beckoning for the others to follow her.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

April 24

11:00 A.M.

Prosecutors' Office Auditorium

"You're lucky I was available," mentioned Angel Starr as she passed out lunches to the group. "Since I have been reinstated as a detective, it was rather difficult for me to get a day off. Of course, Angel Starr always gets what she wants." She smiled at them as they dug into their food. "So, when is this trial going to start?"

"Probably in an hour," Maya replied, reaching for another lunch. "Did you

manage to secure a bailiff?"

"Well… sort of," Angel told her. "I managed to reserve a security guard, by the name of Wendy Oldbag." Taking no notice of the group's horrified cringes, she continued, "That judge seemed very receptive to my magnificent lunches, especially the caviar. Maybe I shall offer him the position of 'yet another boyfriend' again…"

"You! Whippersnappers!"

The group collectively groaned as Wendy Oldbag briskly approached them,

clad in a blue bailiff's uniform.

"Where are your manners?! When I was a young girl, children always respected their elders! In fact, if we showed any sign of discontent…"

"Silence, you foolish old woman!" snapped Franziska, making her entrance as the infamous whip hit its mark. "We have no time for your yammering." She turned to the group, ignoring the indignant Oldbag. "This trial will only proceed to upset Phoenix Wright, you fools. He will not confess to Miles Edgeworth on his own, so my little brother must attend. Knowing him, he will want to talk to Phoenix Wright afterwards, and that is how the desired result will be achieved."

"Oh! That makes sense!" Ema nodded and adjusted the sunglasses on her forehead. "All right! See you soon!"

"Well! How rude! Youngsters these days, I swear…" Oldbag continued to rant as Maya and Ema dashed away from the group. They had some final business to take care of.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

April 24

11:15 A.M.

Wright & Co. Law Offices

'Taxis are very handy at times,' Maya thought to herself as she pushed open the door to the office. 'At least I'm not late…'

"Hey, Nick!" she cried. "I need your help!"

Phoenix looked up from his desk and quirked an eyebrow at her.

"See, we're holding a mock trial," she continued, "and we don't have a defense attorney! Could you please do it?" She pouted and made her eyes as big as possible.

"Okay, Maya, calm down. When is it?" Phoenix asked.

"At... noon, I think."

"Today?! Maya, this is really short notice… I don't know if I can…"

"I-I didn't know!" Maya panicked. 'I better win an Oscar for this performance…'

"Okay, okay! I'll help, but I don't know what to do… I'm going in completely unprepared…"

"Thank you, Nick!" the spirit medium cheered, throwing her arms around him. "Let's go!"

……………………………………………………………………………………………

April 24

11:45 A.M.

High Prosecutor's Office

Ema looked through Edgeworth's paperwork, making sure he hadn't overlooked anything. At least, that was what she was pretending to do. In actuality, she was so apprehensive that she felt like vomiting. When her beeper finally rang, it was somewhat of a relief. Edgeworth looked up at the noise.

"Oh, Mr. Edgeworth! I completely forgot! I'm appearing in court today as a witness! I'm very sorry, but I have to go for a while…" She bit her lip as Edgeworth frowned.

"What case is this?" he asked. "I don't recall seeing your name in any

recent files…"

"Um, well…" Ema stuttered. "I'm not quite sure of all the technicalities, but… you can come watch if you'd like!" She clasped her hands in front of her, eyes sparkling.

Edgeworth mulled it over. As much as he needed to get his extra paperwork done, he was rather curious. If Ema was appearing as a witness, why hadn't he seen her name? And more importantly, why hadn't she told him?

"Very well. I'm assuming you'll need a ride?"

"Oh, no!" Ema assured him. "It's just in the auditorium!"

_'What the hell?…'_

………………………………………………………………………………………………

April 24

12:00 P.M.

Prosecutors' Office Auditorium

Phoenix Wright was, to say the least, very confused. Why was this 'trial' being held here, of all places? And where was the client? "Maya, what's – " He broke off, realizing that Maya was nowhere to be seen.

"The trial is starting," interrupted a familiar voice. "Come with me, whippersnapper."

"Ms. Oldbag?!"

"Go!"

Phoenix found himself in the auditorium, which had been set up to look like a courtroom. Several people surrounded them on all sides, mostly curious onlookers. The judge was seated behind a desk at the front of the room, and two smaller tables had been set up for the defense and prosecution. Standing behind one of those tables was none other than Maya Fey. He moved to join her, but Oldbag stopped him.

"Your table is the one over there, whippersnapper."

"But… what?!" As he was led over to his table, he asked, "Who's the prosecutor in this case, anyways?"

"You're rather dense," snapped Oldbag, pointing to Maya. "That young snip of a thing is the prosecution."

Phoenix stared across the room at his assistant as Oldbag retreated to stand by the doorway.

Yes, something was terribly, terribly wrong with this.


	15. Chapter 15

Uh... Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays?

Sorry guys... my life is so crazy lately. School, this one guy, band... just a total nightmare, really.

At least I have a two-week break coming up, so I should be able to write some more, and maybe even update again.

Yay. :)

Chapter 15

The judge paused in mid-chew, swallowed, and stood up.

"I would like to remind the court that these proceedings are purely fictional, and might I add, very strange." He sat down again. "Ms. Fey, if you would put your book down – "

"NO WAY! They killed him?!" Maya clutched her manga in shock. "I forgot all about this! Aww man, and he was my favorite character, too!"

"MS. FEY!" the judge thundered.

"Hm? Oh, hey, everyone's here! All right," she said, snapping the book shut and placing it underneath the table. "Proceed, Your Honor."

The judge nodded.

"Court is now in session for the trial of Mr. Phoenix Wright."

_'What?!'_ thought Phoenix, shocked. In the back of the crowd, a grey eyebrow rose.

"Ms. Fey, your opening statement, if you please."

Phoenix looked at Maya, who had stood up straight, shoulders square. Her expression was deadly serious. Overall, it seemed as if a different person was wearing Maya's clothes.

"Thank you, Your Honor. The prosecution will prove, without a doubt, that the defendant, Phoenix Wright… is in love with Miles Edgeworth."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Edgeworth's eyes widened, muscles growing stiff. He watched as Phoenix recoiled in surprise, then recovered and glared at Maya, who met his stare with a cool, bored expression.

_'What?! This is…'_ He checked once again to make sure that Oldbag could not see him. He had gotten a nasty shock when he recognized the face under that stiff blue hat.

_'This is… not just his reputation at stake, but mine too! I have to do something… but…'_ His thought was interrupted by a chuckle from the judge, which quickly turned into uproarious laughter, soon mirrored by the rest of the crowd.

"Ho ho! That's a good one, huh, Bob?"

"Heh, yeah. Sure hope they do these more often. Jokes like that make my day."

"Maybe next time they'll prove that the judge is a pimp! Ha ha ha!"

_'They all… think it's a joke… then again, he did say it was fictional…'_ Glancing at Maya, he noticed that her determined stare and stiff posture contrasted with the rest of the crowd. _'No. In her mind, this is real.'_

Edgeworth leaned back against the wall, grey bangs falling into his face. He debated with his inner self for a while, finally deciding to stay.

His heart was pounding much too fast to allow any movement on his part.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Phoenix straightened quickly, realizing that he must look rather suspicious to the still-chortling mass of spectators. He finally tore his eyes away from Maya to look at the judge.

"Your Honor," he firmly stated, slamming the desk, "this is ridiculous."

"I believe, Mr. Wright, that he stated so before the trial started," Maya mentioned, lifting her nose slightly.

'Her demeanor has changed completely… she's acting like…'

"Unless," she continued, smirking, "you would like to forfeit and hand me the verdict?"

'Like… Edgeworth!'

"Shall we continue, Mr. Wright?" the judge asked.

"Um… yeah," he muttered. _'I'll just have to prove her wrong!'_

"The truth always comes out, Mr. Wright," commented Maya. "I'd like to call my first witness, if I may."

"OBJECTION!"

All heads turned to look at Phoenix, who had his arm outstretched, finger pointed at Maya.

"I'm afraid I have a problem with your statement, Ms. Fey! You see," he said, "I cannot _possibly_ be a homosexual!"

Maya raised her eyebrows.

"Oh? Do tell."

Phoenix smirked.

_'I've got this all wrapped up.'_

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Miles Edgeworth had been watching the proceedings with interest, noting how Maya took after him in behavior. Then again, he _was_ the prosecutor she'd been around the most. He then looked over at Phoenix, wondering why he had felt a twinge of disappointment at his last statement.

"In college," Phoenix began, "I had a girlfriend! So you realize," he continued, "I am, in fact, heterosexual!"

Everyone stared at him in near-disgust. "Uh, what?" he asked.

"Mr. Wright," Maya said slowly, as if speaking to a child, "there is the possibility of bisexuality."

The judge nodded.

"Objection overruled, Mr. Wright. By the way, was this that 'Dahlia' girl? Didn't you eat a poisoned glass vial to protect her from being found out?"

The crowd laughed again. Maya's eyes twinkled with humor.

"There were only _traces_ of poison, Your Honor," Phoenix corrected him.

For the current time, Miles was judging the trial as an outside prosecutor, and not as a personally involved party. It was easier that way.

_'Wright, you moron,'_ he thought, shaking his head, _'you couldn't have _possibly_ won the case with that flimsy bit of trivia!'_

He raised his eyes again as Maya opened her mouth.

"Hold it, whippersnappers!"

Maya groaned as Oldbag forced her way onto the stand, eyes glinting dangerously. Phoenix raised his eyebrows, as if astonished that she was actually trying to help him.

"As this whippersnapper knows, Edgey-poo is committed to ME and ME ALONE! He would not dare to go after my Edgey-boy!" she gushed, cheeks reddening.

The crowd was silent for a few moments.

"Off." Maya pointed to the door.

"You! How dare you address me in such a rude manner! In my day, whippersnappers didn't talk back to their elders, oh no! Nowadays, there's no such thing as 'yes ma'am' or 'no ma'am', and certainly nothing so chivalrous as – "

Maya rubbed her temples in exasperation.

"Somebody… please…"

"I'll take care of it, pal!" called a familiar voice. Before she knew it, Oldbag was being hauled away by the detective, screeching, "Don't forget it, whippersnappers!"

"…Shall we continue?" the judge asked.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"The prosecution calls Pearl Fey to the stand!"

Pearl stepped up behind another desk, meeting the eyes of everyone in the crowd, including those of Miles Edgeworth. She nodded slightly to acknowledge his presence, then turned to face Maya.

"Witness. Name and occupation."

"Objection!" shouted Phoenix, pointing at Maya. "The witness is related to you, and is likely to be biased!"

"It's a game, Mr. Wright. Why can you not grasp this concept?" reprimanded the judge, shaking his head. Maya smirked, and ordered Pearl to continue.

"My name is Pearl Fey," the tiny girl stated in a clear, loud voice. "I am a spirit medium in training."

"Witness," Maya began, "could you please testify to the court about Mr. Wright and Mr. Edgeworth?" Pearl nodded and began to speak.

"I think Mr. Nick has always been very close to Mr. Edgeworth. Mystic Maya says that they were good friends since they were in school… and Mr. Nick is always trying to help Mr. Edgeworth. Plus, he was very upset when Mr. Edgeworth left…"

"Hmm." The judge nodded.

"Hold it!" Phoenix shouted. "You merely stated that we were good _friends_! So what?! I can have a male friend without being attracted to him, can't I?! Just ask Larry!"

"Mr. Butz and Mr. Edgeworth are very different people," Maya stated coolly. "Whereas Mr. Edgeworth is a very attractive man, Mr. Butz leaves something to be desired."

"HEY!" yelled a familiar voice from the back of the auditorium.

Maya sighed. "Perhaps this matter shall be cleared up after she testifies again. Miss Fey, could you please testify further on Mr. Edgeworth's departure?"

Pearl adjusted her magatama slightly.

"Well… everybody learned not to say Mr. Edgeworth's name… when they did, Mr. Nick would get very upset and yell, then he was quite depressed for a long time. And now, Mr. Nick blushes a lot when Mr. Edgeworth is around. It's obvious that they're very close."

"This little girl has quite a vocabulary," the judge commented. A few spectators murmured and nodded in agreement.

"This proves nothing! Anyone would be upset if their friend went and left a suicide note!" Phoenix countered.

"Enough to freak out whenever he was mentioned?" Maya asked. "Face it, Mr. Wright. Your attitude resembled that of a betrayed lover, rather than a lonely friend."

Phoenix gritted his teeth. This was not going well for him. He perked up suddenly as an idea entered his mind. "Miss Fey… going back to my earlier point, how am I to know that this witness is not being manipulated in some way? Even in fictional proceedings, this is still a case of perjury, albeit much milder."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You see," Phoenix continued, "the witness, for the year that I have known her, has been convinced that you, Maya Fey, are my 'special someone'!"

The crowd muttered.

Maya's arm twitched, as if she was stifling the impulse to flail it around in exasperation. Instead, she shook her head, shrugging. "And _am_ I your 'special someone', Mr. Wright?"

"Well, no, but – "

"Precisely. People _change their minds_ based on what they witness, Mr. Wright. Even this witness, young as she may be, has that particular mental ability, unless you mean to imply that she is a simple girl with a one-track mind?"

_'Shit, not the guilt trip!'_ "No, no, of course not!" Phoenix stammered, waving his hands in front of him. _'Can't get anything out of Pearls, I guess… knowing Maya, she'll call another "witness".'_

"But enough about that," continued the spirit medium. "I have another witness to your strange behavior."

Phoenix had a feeling that he knew who it was going to be.

"The prosecution calls Ema Skye to the stand!"

………………………………………………………………………………………………

_'Well,'_ Miles Edgeworth mused, _'this has been a very interesting trial.'_

He had been quite surprised at the revelation of Wright's strange behavior, caused by his abrupt departure. _'He… was depressed?' _

He paid no attention as Maya went through the prosecution's "name and occupation" ritual, but snapped out of his reverie as Ema's voice filled his ears.

"So… Maya's birthday party," she remarked. "There was one particular incident that stood out. Ms. von Karma tried to whip Mr. Wright, so he hid behind Mr. Edgeworth. Okay, maybe that's not so unusual. Mr. Edgeworth has very broad shoulders, after all. Like a football player." This drew a few snickers from the crowd, and an embarrassed blush from Edgeworth. "Later, they started talking in a corner, and Mr. Edgeworth squeezed Mr. Wright's shoulder. Then, Mr. Wright touched his own shoulder for a long time, and stared at Mr. Edgeworth as if in a daze."

"Hey! Objection! I had an itch!"

"For an entire minute?"

"It happens!"

"Liar!"

"ENOUGH!" the judge roared. "If the defense has no further questions, we would like to continue!"

"Tsk tsk, Mr. Wright," chided Maya, wagging her finger at him. Phoenix, apparently unused to this personality alteration, raised one eyebrow before remembering the situation. "You would do well not to badger my witness."

"But – "

"THE PROSECUTION," Maya interrupted, "would like the witness to testify about the behavior of Mr. Edgeworth!"

"How does this have any relevance?" the judge asked.

"In due time, Your Honor, all shall be made clear," Maya answered. "Witness?"

"Okay!" Ema chirped. "Hm… Mr. Edgeworth hasn't been nearly as focused lately. A bystander wouldn't notice the difference, but I know him pretty well. He often scribbles on a piece of paper that has nothing to do with his work… but I definitely saw the name 'Wright' on it. Quite a few times, actually. He sure talks about him an awful lot, come to think of it…" She finished her testimony and folded her arms, satisfied.

"Does the defense have any questions?" the judge asked.

Phoenix seemed very confused by the whole thing. Edgeworth clutched his arm; had Ema really noticed that?

"Your Honor, this is completely irrelevant," Phoenix finally remarked.

"You're right," Maya smirked. "I just wanted to point that out to you. You dropped your guard for a second there after hearing that, no?"

"Not very professional, Ms. Fey."

"Good thing I'm not a professional, eh?"

"Enough!" interrupted the judge, banging his gavel. "May we _please_ continue, regardless of subject matter?"

"Very well. Detective Dick Gumshoe, take the stand," Maya commanded, as Phoenix sputtered indignantly.

"Isn't there an excessive amount of witnesses?" he asked, sighing in defeat.

"The point of being a lawyer is to drive your point home and solve the case," Maya replied, closing her eyes for a few seconds. "Witness," she began once more, "Name and occupation."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Ema's right, pal," was the first statement of Gumshoe's testimony. "Mr. Edgeworth talks about you quite a bit. You were practically the only thing on his mind after that Steel Samurai case. He really cares about you, pal." Pausing in the middle of his speech, he dug in the large pockets of his green trenchcoat, which had been returned after its long and mysterious absence. The neatly written "To Scruffy" on the front pocket was a dead giveaway as to the identity of the benefactor.

"Here it is!" Gumshoe exclaimed, unfolding a piece of paper. "This drawing, by none other than Mr. Edgeworth himself! Now that's what I call decisive evidence, pal!"

"Objection! How do you know that it was drawn by Edgeworth?!"

"Testify about the drawing, Detective," Maya smoothly commanded.

"Yes, sir… ma'am…sir! This drawing was found on Mr. Edgeworth's desk. It's a picture of Mr. Wright, and it has Mr. Edgeworth's fingerprints all over it. Heh heh," he chuckled, "he must really like you, pal."

"A… drawing?" Phoenix asked weakly.

"Yeah! Here, catch!" Gumshoe folded the paper up and threw it to Phoenix, who caught it in mid-air and opened it.

_'Edgeworth…' _

"The prosecution has a lunch reservation, so if the defense is done with his ogling, we would like to finish this trial today," Maya sardonically remarked. "I would like to call…"

"HimynameisLarryButzI'mcurrentlyunemployed!" a familiar voice cried, its owner leaping over a few benches and landing on the podium. "Ta-daa!"

"Mr. Butz – "

"About Nick and Edgey, right? Okay! Here I go!" Larry cleared his throat and dabbed at his forehead with a handkerchief, accidentally poking himself in the eye.

"THEY'RE TOTALLY GAY FOR EACH OTHER!!!"

"The defense requests that the witness shut up!" Phoenix roared, too embarrassed and angry about this whole matter to care about keeping his temper in check.

"I feel it right here," Larry sniffled, putting his hand over his heart and ignoring Phoenix. "I walked in on them holding hands, and… they were about to kiss! It was SO BEAUTIFUL!" he bawled, ignoring the disbelieving stares of the crowd. "Plus," he added, brightening, "Nick became a lawyer because he wanted to see Edgey again. If that doesn't spell L-O-V-E, I don't know what does! And don't forget the gift that Nick gave Edgey!"

"Which was…?" Maya prompted.

"A really expensive fancy hairbrush that fits in with that other froofy crap Edgey likes!" Larry beamed. "He blew his whole damn bank account just to make Edgey happy! Isn't that sweet?!"

The crowd erupted, and the judge banged his gavel frantically.

"OBJECT-"

"Get off the stand, fool!" A whip snaked around Larry's arm, and Franziska von Karma jerked him to the side. "Mr. Phoenix Wright," she said, glaring at him.

_'Uh-oh…'_ Phoenix thought.

"Mr. Phoenix Wright," she reiterated. "As foolish as it is, my little brother is in love with you." She slammed a thick bundle onto the table. "He still keeps your old letters at his house, from when you wrote to him after he moved in with my papa and me. The one you didn't send," she continued, waving a piece of paper between two fingers, "I recovered from your office. You should really take out your recycling more often, Mr. Phoenix Wright.

"Now, if you don't want me to read this foolishly drawn-out confession of your love for Miles Edgeworth aloud, then I would suggest that you confess and take your 'guilty' verdict honorably."

"OBJECTION! Based on the witness's disposition towards myself," Phoenix argued, sweating nervously, "it is highly likely that she is lying about this matter in order to humiliate me! Her whole reason for coming to the United States boils down to the fact that she is determined to defeat me!"

"Oh, please," Franziska replied, lip curling in contempt. "Do you really think I would settle for a defeat in this foolishly shoddy fake trial? No, Mr. Phoenix Wright… I want to defeat you in your prime, in the real courtroom! That is why I must reveal all here, so you can fully concentrate once this foolish matter is FINALLY settled!" While Phoenix opened his mouth dumbly, Franziska cleared her throat and straightened out the piece of paper that she held.

"Dear Miles,

You have no idea how hard it is for me to write this letter, and I suppose it will be even harder to send it. There is something that I must say, however, and I just can't bring myself to tell you in person.

It's been a while since we met each other for the first time in court, after many long years apart, but I think my part in this started a few years before that, when I was in college, and when I first – "

Phoenix let one fist fall on the desk in front of him. Franziska paused, glancing over at him, and Phoenix spoke weakly. "Stop… just stop… I can't…" He fell silent, unable to say any more.

That damn letter. Phoenix remembered writing it just last week. He had been so desperate to get his feelings out that he just… wrote them down and crumpled them up. Now, it had proved to be his undoing. He gave Maya a ferocious glare, and she recoiled.

She had never been looked at that way before, especially by Nick, with his eyes so full of hate and pain. Maya bit her lip.

'I'm doing this for you, Nick…'

The judge raised his voice.

"I believe it is time for me to declare my verdict. This court finds the defendant, Mr. Phoenix Wright, _guilty_." He slammed his gavel.

It was done.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Oh ho ho! Great acting, everyone!" the judge laughed. "That was fun! We must do that again sometime! I think the audience enjoyed it too. Ms. Fey, you might consider a career in the field of law. I think you have a real aptitude for it!"

"Thank you, Your Honor!" Maya smiled and clasped her hands together. Her expression turned to one of worry as a flash of dark blue caught her eye. _'Nick…'_

"Nick! Wait!" she cried, putting a hand on his shoulder. Phoenix shrugged her off harshly.

"I have never been so humiliated in my _life_," he growled. "Don't touch me. I'll see you on Monday." The defense attorney stalked off, leaving his assistant to stare after him forlornly.

"Mystic Maya?"

"…Let's go, Pearly."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Phoenix walked out of the auditorium, fists clenched, face red, muscles tense. If anyone he knew had been there, he was a ruined man. Not to mention, if Edgeworth ever heard…

A hand clenched his shoulder and whirled him around. Blue eyes met stormy grey.

_'Oh shit, not now…'_

"Wright," stated Edgeworth firmly. "We need to talk."


	16. Chapter 16

Hey, guys. It's been a while... sorry about that. Thanks for your great reviews and encouragement!

In this chapter, we're finally starting the Trials and Tribulations arc. Hopefully it will prove satisfactory. There's a fat section that goes over Dahlia's background, so just bear with me here. Honestly, she fascinates me, even though I despise her. Anyways. Enjoy!

Chapter 16

Phoenix could not tear his gaze away from those eyes, the ones that had always made his heart skip a beat, the ones that could, if necessary, bend him to their will.

_'I'm doomed, he was there, it's over, our friendship is gone…'_

Without a word, Edgeworth stepped behind his back and steered him into the parking lot, opening the door to his shiny red car. He looked pointedly at Phoenix, who stared at him dumbly, wondering whether or not to bolt. With a sigh and a roll of his eyes, Edgeworth grabbed his sleeve and shoved him into the passenger seat, closing the door behind him and seating himself behind the steering wheel.

Phoenix closed his eyes as the car began to move, trying to control his breathing. He felt a deep sense of betrayal. Maya had ruined everything. Pearl… she was manipulated, but the rest… he didn't dare confront Franziska, but Ema and Larry would pay. If he had the power, he would have lowered Gumshoe's salary. _'Edgeworth probably will…' _he thought. _'He would never submit to an assault on his precious reputation.'_

They turned into the driveway, and Phoenix numbly opened the door. He knew there was no escape, not from those grey eyes. Edgeworth pushed him into the house and closed the door. Never tearing his gaze from Phoenix's face, he pointed to the couch. Phoenix sat down, glad for a chance to rest his shaking legs. Edgeworth followed suit, folding his hands in his lap and staring at them for a while.

Finally, he spoke.

"Wright…"

Phoenix didn't reply, looking down at his own hands.

"Look at me, for God's sake."

Phoenix shook his head.

"I… don't think I can."

Strong fingers gripped his chin, yanking it up.

"Damn it, Wright! You're not solving anything by doing this!"

Phoenix blinked at him.

"There's… nothing that needs to be said."

"Yes, Phoenix. There is." Miles took a deep breath before continuing. "I was there."

Phoenix winced, although he had been expecting it.

"Heh… Maya sure is tough," he managed weakly.

"Don't change the subject," Miles snapped. "This isn't the time to bluff, Phoenix." He released his hand from Phoenix's chin, sliding it back down to his lap. "…What they said… is it true?"

Phoenix closed his eyes.

"…Yes..."

* * *

Miles wondered briefly if his heart was going to end up bursting out of his chest. He let out a long sigh, looking away.

_'So it is true… but how can I tell him?'_

"I'm – I'm sorry," Phoenix said, interrupting his thoughts. "I should go…" He quickly stood up and made to leave.

"Phoenix, wait."

"I'm sorry, Miles. I hope we can still be friends after this." With that, Phoenix exited the house, leaving Miles to bury his face in his hands.

* * *

One year later…

February 8

1:37 A.M.

Hotel Room

The phone was ringing. Miles Edgeworth was angry about this. He had been having a rather nice dream. Groaning sleepily, he fumbled around with one hand before locating the telephone.

"Miles Edgeworth speaking…"

"Yo, Edgey! You gotta come back right away! It's an emergency!"

"Larry, I told you, I just have some business to take care of overseas. I should be back in a couple of weeks." Sighing, he prepared to hang up the phone.

"B-but, it's Nick! He fell off a burning bridge into the river and it was really high up and now he's dying on his deathbed and – "

"Wh-what?!"

"-and… and…" Larry sniffed.

"He fell off a burning bridge, Larry?!" Miles was sitting bolt upright now. _'Shit…'_

"Yeah. I think it was called Dusky Bridge or whatever. And now the love of my life is accused of murder and my mentor is dead and Maya is trapped and Pearl is missing and… other stuff."

"Dusky Bridge…" _'Where have I heard that name before?' _Miles got up, rummaging through his suitcase. "Okay. I'll be over there as soon as possible. See you later." He hung up the phone and quickly got dressed, dialing a number on the phone. "Hello, I need a private jet to Los Angeles…"

* * *

February 8

8:00 A.M.

Hospital

Phoenix sighed and stretched his arms. These hospital beds weren't exactly comfortable, especially in the way of back support. Some thicker blankets might be nice, too.

A nurse walked into the room. "Mr. Wright, you have a visitor."

"Oh, good," he replied, brightening. _'Maybe they have some news about Maya…'_

The man who walked into the room was the person that he least expected at that time.

"Edgeworth?!"

Miles walked over and sat himself on a chair next to Phoenix's bed. "How are you feeling, Wright? I'm sorry that I couldn't get here sooner…"

"Uh, fine… and that's okay." Phoenix was very confused. Miles was peering into his face intently, reaching out to adjust a bandage on the patient's head. "You don't have to fuss over me or anything…"

_'You know you like it.'_

_ 'Crap, not you again.'_

"Wright? Are you okay? You don't have to act like you're well for my sake."

"I'm fine, Miles…" Phoenix sighed. "They said I was lucky. I have a cold from falling in the river, and some bruising, but other than that, I'm fine. You're acting like I'm on my deathbed or something."

Miles looked away, eyes narrowing. "I am going to kill Larry."

Phoenix looked confused for a moment, then laughed. "He exaggerated things again, didn't he?"

"Enough for me to charter a private jet to get here," Miles grumbled. He felt very embarrassed. Larry would _pay_.

"Aww, was Miles worried about little old Phoenix? That's so _sweet!_" Phoenix cooed, clasping his hands together and attempting to make his eyes sparkle.

"Shut up!" Miles folded his arms and looked at the door.

"Heh, sorry. But seriously… you didn't have to do that. I'm the one who should apologize for taking you away from your work," Phoenix said, biting his lip anxiously.

Miles turned to look at his friend. "It's nothing. Anyone would do the same."

"I guess…" Phoenix looked doubtful.

"Wright… what happened to you, anyways?"

* * *

February 8

4:03 P.M.

Hazakura Temple Main Gate

Edgeworth sighed and stared at the shiny attorney's badge on his lapel. What the hell was he doing here? He was in way over his head, what with those creepy Psycholock things and being a defense attorney in Phoenix's stead. Why had he accepted this offer?

_'That's a stupid question,'_ he admonished himself. _'It was Phoenix who asked, after all… and I was probably a bit curious about what it's like to be a defense attorney. So sue me.'_

Stupid weaknesses for certain stupid defense attorneys. Stupid godforsaken mountain with its stupid snow and stupid wind. If anything else that was stupid showed up, he decided, he would follow Wright's example and jump into the stupid river.

"Hiya, Edgey!"

Edgeworth sighed again. _'River, here I come.'_

"I said, HI, EDGEY!!!"

Edgeworth decided that living was preferable, and he grudgingly turned to face Larry.

"What in the hell are you wearing?"

"Aww, is that any way to greet an old friend?"

"In your case, yes."

Larry "hmph"ed and folded his arms. "For your information, Edgey, this is the garb of a _true, inspired _artist!"

"Funny," Edgeworth remarked. "I seem to remember that your drawings suck."

"HEY! SHUT UP! I'VE GOTTEN BETTER! WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE –" Larry clammed up suddenly, sweating a bit. "Okay, so maybe you're pretty good, but – "

"And I have _never_ worn anything as ridiculous as that," Edgeworth finished, pointing to Larry's orange beret.

"Then what's this?" Larry challenged, fluffing Edgeworth's cravat into the irate prosecutor's face. At Edgeworth's stony silence, he continued, "And you should be flattered! I was taking a leaf out of your book with the pink sweater!"

"I don't wear PINK, damn it!"

"Piiiiink pink pink pink – "

"MAGENTA!"

"Fine." Larry coughed, muttering "pink" under his breath.

Edgeworth resisted the urge to stuff that _stupid_ orange beret down Larry's throat.

* * *

February 9

12:00 P.M.

Train

Phoenix Wright was currently going over that morning's trial records. He chuckled when he saw the name of the prosecutor: Franziska von Karma. _'Bet that went well.'_

The defendant, Iris, had supposedly been seen pulling a ceremonial sword out of the victim's back. However, it had been proven that the sword in question was not the murder weapon. Afterward, Larry had testified and made a complete idiot of himself as usual. He mentioned something strange, however – that he had seen Iris flying over the bridge. Further testimony on his part raised the question of where the murder actually took place. The snowmobile in front of the temple had been used by Iris on that night, possibly to transport the body or to dispose of the murder weapon.

_'Iris… who is she?' _The nun strikingly resembled Phoenix's college girlfriend, Dahlia Hawthorne. After researching Mia's first case, and from his own memories of Mia's second case, Phoenix had been able to piece things together pretty well.

During Mia's first case, she had been defending a man named Terry Fawles. When Dahlia was fourteen, she conspired with him and her own stepsister, Valerie, to steal a diamond from Dahlia's father. Terry staged a false kidnapping of Dahlia, who was his girlfriend, and the two of them met Valerie at Dusky Bridge. Valerie was supposed to exchange the diamond for Dahlia, and the money from the diamond would be split three ways. Valerie, however, betrayed the plan and shot Terry in the arm, giving Dahlia an opportunity to escape with the diamond by throwing herself into the river.

Five years later, Valerie, knowing that Dahlia was alive, contacted her stepsister and told her to admit to her crime. Valerie arranged to meet with Terry Fawles on Dusky Bridge. Terry escaped from prison, stole a car, and drove to the meeting site, taking a brief detour to retrieve a gift that Dahlia had given him. The gift was a small bottle on a necklace, filled with poison. In the meantime, Dahlia killed Valerie and stuffed her into the trunk of the car. She then disguised herself as Valerie and met Terry on the bridge. When Terry was arrested for Valerie's murder, Dahlia testified against him in court, taking on the name of Melissa Foster. Her true identity was proven by Mia, who had fought a long and difficult battle against none other than Miles Edgeworth. Before Dahlia could be properly convicted of the murder, however, Terry drank the poison from the bottle necklace and died, thus ending the trial.

Several months later, Diego Armando, Mia's fellow attorney, called Dahlia to the courtroom library. He, too, had been present at the trial, and he strongly suspected Dahlia of Valerie's murder. Dahlia knew this, so she poisoned Armando's coffee, which had apparently killed him. The container for the poison was none other than the bottle necklace that she had given to Terry. Using her relationship with her college boyfriend, Doug Swallow, she was granted access to the school's chemistry lab, where she acquired the poison.

Naturally, Dahlia needed to dispose of the bottle necklace. She spotted a young man in the library, Phoenix Wright himself. Phoenix was quickly attracted to the beautiful young woman, and she presented him with the necklace as "proof of their love". Phoenix, naturally, was thrilled with this, and he showed the gift to everyone he knew. In the meantime, Dahlia was being questioned about Armando's murder, but because she had no poison on her person, she was set free.

Dahlia was worried about Phoenix's habit of showing off the necklace, for she feared that, if shown to the wrong person, it could incriminate her. She constantly pestered Phoenix to give it to her, but he consistently refused, assuming that she was just joking. Dahlia decided to kill Phoenix to get the necklace, so she stole more poison from the chemistry lab. She stole Phoenix's bottle of cold medicine and poisoned it, but her old boyfriend, Doug, had noticed her stealing the poison. He warned Phoenix about Dahlia, but Phoenix refused to hear such things about his girlfriend, and pushed Doug. After Phoenix left, Dahlia approached Doug, and, using a broken electrical cable, quickly silenced him, arranging the scene to pin the crime on Phoenix. Phoenix came back to see if Doug was okay after he shoved him, and discovered Doug's dead body. By then, the police had arrived, and they quickly arrested Phoenix.

In court, Mia Fey, Phoenix's defense attorney, attempted to expose Dahlia as the real murderer. She demanded that the bottle necklace be tested for traces of poison. Phoenix, in an attempt to stop this, ate the bottle. Mia then turned to a new tactic: have Dahlia take some of Phoenix's cold medicine. Dahlia then had no choice but to admit her defeat.

_'So if Dahlia Hawthorne is, indeed, in jail… then who is Iris, and does she have any relation to Dahlia?'_


	17. Chapter 17

Hey kids. :P

This is kind of a short chapter... bear with me here. Lots of updates in the next few days. I intend to finish this story before 2010. And yes, there will be a sequel, which will cover the events of Ace Attorney Investigations and Apollo Justice. Maybe we'll have news about AA5 by that time, too!

Here you go. Hope you like it! :D

Chapter 17

February 9

2:43 P.M.

Dusky Bridge

"How are you feeling, Wright?" Edgeworth asked, having met Phoenix at the bridge.

"Eh, not perfect, but well enough to finish the case," he replied, shrugging a bit. "Thanks for your help."

"It was nothing, really. I found it rather… interesting."

The two stood in silence for a while before Edgeworth cleared his throat. "Well, I'm going to check the background information of the defendant… I'm sure that I've seen her somewhere before…"

Phoenix made a noncommittal noise as Edgeworth took his leave, shivering a bit from the cold. _'Of course he would think that… after all, she does look just like the witness to his first case…'_ With this thought, he decided to investigate by the temple's entrance.

* * *

February 9

2:46 P.M.

Hazakura Temple Entrance

"Man, it sure is great to see you again, Franny! I thought our lovely relationship had been destroyed!"

"Shut up, you fool. I had hoped never to see your foolish face again. How unfortunate that I must deal with you now."

"Aw, c'mon, Franny! Don't be like that! And why didn't you let me sketch you in court today? Such a visage of beauty should not go unrecorded!"

Larry soon had another whiplash mark to add to his collection. He continued anyways.

"And I'll write a book about you, and call it Franny's Whip-Lash Splash! It'll be great! _Please_ model for me?"

"I said NO, fool!"

"Fine. I'll get you later though… just you wait!" With a wink, Larry left. Franziska scanned the area.

"Mr. Phoenix Wright!" Crap. Phoenix had tried to sneak away unnoticed.

"Hello, Ms. von Karma…"

"I came to this foolish place to defeat you once again, but I, instead, faced Miles Edgeworth! It is a shame you were not there, as I astounded him with my clever retorts and sharp prosecuting skills. Soon, the same shall happen to you!"

"…Right. I'm leaving now."

"Yes, run, fool! Run from your impending defeat!"

* * *

February 9

2:57 P.M.

Hazakura Temple Courtyard

Phoenix didn't get much of a reprieve from Franziska, who soon joined him on his search for evidence.

"What do you think the deal is with this whole 'Mystic' Elise thing?"

"What do you mean, Phoenix Wright?"

"That Bikini lady keeps calling Ms. Deauxnim 'Mystic Elise'… could she have some possible connection to spirit mediums?"

"I don't see why that nun would refer to Elise Deauxnim as a mystic in any other case."

"Hm."

Franziska took her leave, and Phoenix walked glumly along in the snow.

_'Poor Maya… poor Pearls. I hope they're both okay.'_

After what seemed like hours of fruitless searching, Gumshoe randomly popped up in front of Phoenix, who, startled, fell backwards into the slush.

"Oops, sorry, pal. Anyways, we finished repairing the broken bridge… although now that I think about it, it's probably a bad idea for you to cross it. I guess it hates you or something, pal."

Crack. "Oww!"

"Nonsense, Scruffy. I, Franziska von Karma, shall accompany Phoenix Wright across the bridge. Surely my perfection shall override his foolish clumsiness, idiotic though he may be."

_'Great.' _Sometimes, with the way she spouted "perfection" statements almost constantly, Franziska reminded him of Oldbag the blatherer. Phoenix briefly recalled a case not too long ago, in which Larry (and, indirectly, his boss, the Oldbag) had reluctantly participated. Poor Larry had gotten fired afterwards for neglecting his post as a security guard. _'I guess that's why he decided to become "Laurice Deauxnim the Amazing",' _Phoenix mused. He noticed that while his mind had been wandering, his feet had taken him across the bridge. _'Oh.'_

"Mr. Nick?!"

Phoenix started at the high voice calling his name. "Pearls!"

The young medium stared back at him with a shocked expression on her face. "I thought nobody else was here… I've been alone this whole time."  
"Really? Where's Maya, then?" Phoenix inquired.

Pearl bit her lip. "I… don't know."

Franziska curled her lip. "And why not? Are you not here because you went to look for her, or are you here for some other reason?"

"Ah! It's you!"

"Yes, it is I, Franziska von – "

"How could you be so mean?! I've been here all day and night, and it's cold and I'm alone and – " Pearl started to sniffle. Phoenix smirked at the dumbfounded Franziska.

"Don't be upset, Pearls. She hasn't matured very much during her time in Germany."

Crack. "How dare you, fool?!"

Phoenix winced.

* * *

February 9

3:11 P.M.

Inner Temple Gate

"Why is everyone here so rude?!" Franziska fumed as she and Phoenix walked away from the Inner Temple. "That fool with his eyesore of a visor obviously has had no instruction on how to treat a lady such as myself."

_'Godot… what's his problem?' _The white-haired prosecutor had been unusually hostile towards Phoenix, even saying that Mia Fey's death was his fault, and that Maya, who was trapped inside a locked and freezing cave, would die under his watch. _'I couldn't do anything! Why is he so set on getting revenge on me?'_ He was also bothered by the fact that a wall scroll of Misty Fey, hung inside the Inner Temple, had been smeared with gravy. _'Who would do such a thing? And why?'_

"Uh, hey, pals," Gumshoe said, interrupting Phoenix's thoughts. "I just wanted to tell you not to go into the garden there." With that, the detective disappeared through the gate leading into the garden. Phoenix looked at Franziska and shrugged before following him.

He immediately spotted Maya's name written upside down on a stone pillar. The three figures stared at the name, which was obviously written in blood.

"Well," Gumshoe began, "looks like this might be the real location of the murder." The other two had to agree, and Gumshoe spoke again. "Mr. Edgeworth said that he was going to get Iris from the Detention Center, to see if she can open that lock on the cave door. Apparently, it can only open through a certain code, so we think that Iris might know it."

"Okay, thanks. I'll go wait for them," Phoenix said.

At the gate, he met Edgeworth and Iris.

"Hi," Phoenix greeted awkwardly.

"Hello," Iris replied, blushing slightly.

"Wright. You are not allowed to interfere with the investigation," Edgeworth told him, his eyebrows furrowed. "Iris and I will be leaving now."

"Um… okay?" Phoenix waved slightly after them. _'That was stupid.'_


	18. Chapter 18

Hey guys! Another update for you all. :)

Christmas was AWESOME. I got a whole bunch of great gifts, including a new laptop (early graduation present, apparently).

Not much else to say. Enjoy!

Chapter 18

February 9

3:15 P.M.

Sacred Cavern

Maya Fey shivered. Not for the first time, she considered the possibility of requesting that the traditional training garb be modified – rather, the creation of "summer" and "winter" outfits, instead of just the usual short dress, sandals, and robe. It was _cold_ in that cave!

She studied the words written on the frosty cave walls. A message from her sister, who had briefly inhabited the young spirit medium's body: "Channel Dahlia Hawthorne…" it began. Sighing, Maya began another game of mindless tic-tac-toe on the ground while she pondered her situation. She couldn't give up. She _couldn't._

_"Hey, Ema?"_

"Yeah?"

_ "How come… your sister is Chief Prosecutor even now? Wasn't she punished after… what she did?"_

_ Ema frowned, a sadness overtaking her large brown eyes. "Right…"_

_ "You told me the story of SL-9," Maya continued, "and what happened two years later with Nick, but…"_

_ "No, I know." The other girl smiled a bit. "It's still kind of hard to believe. I knew Lana was amazing at her job, but to be promoted again so quickly? I thought there must have been some mistake at first." Maya nodded, prompting her to finish. "But… she never gave up, and worked so hard, with so much determination. By the time I came back from Europe, she was already an esteemed prosecutor at the Prosecutor's Office. It only took a few more months, and a bit of luck, for her to regain her former position." Here, Ema grinned. "That's why I never lose hope! If you have enough willpower… then you can surely defeat any obstacles! Just like Lana… and Mr. Wright!"_

Maya closed her eyes for several seconds. When she opened them, they seemed to blaze with enough determination to ignite a massive bonfire.

_ 'Yeah… I'll do it, Sis! I won't fail you… or anyone else!'_

February 9

3:27 P.M.

Hazakura Temple Main Hall

Phoenix rubbed his head wearily. "Well, crap."

How on earth was he going to tell Maya and Pearls?

Elise Deauxnim was actually Misty Fey, Maya's mother and Pearl's aunt.

And she had been murdered.

Great.

It had taken a lot to get that secret out of Bikini… and once he found out, Phoenix almost wished that he didn't know.

It would have made life a lot simpler. Not to mention, if Edgeworth ever found out, how would he feel? Misty Fey had a connection with him, as well, through his father's murder case.

Really fucking great.

"Um, sir? Are you alright?" Phoenix realized that he was still standing in front of the portly nun, who looked considerably worried about him.

"Yeah, I think – " His sentence was cut off as the room started shaking violently.

"Oh dear, another earthquake! The Sacred Cavern – I hope it doesn't collapse!" Bikini exclaimed, covering her head.

"What?! Maya! And – " _'Shit! Edgeworth! He's terrified of earthquakes!' _

"You look troubled," observed Franziska, a smirk creeping across her face even as the walls trembled around them. "Are you worried about Miles Edgeworth?" The defense attorney ignored her, his many worries clamoring for attention inside his head.

"You get these a lot?" Phoenix finally asked once the rumbling had died down. Upon receiving an affirmative but shaky nod from Bikini, he dashed outside. _'Damn it! Please be okay!'_

He found Edgeworth's magenta-clad figure easily enough. The taller man was trembling.

"Hey! Miles!" Phoenix called, jogging up to him and putting his hand on the other's broad shoulder. Tingles raced up his spine at the contact. _'No! No time for this! Make sure he's okay, and don't let your stupid feelings get in the way!'_

"Wright…" Edgeworth slowly turned his head, not looking Phoenix in the eye. "I apologize… Iris managed to escape during the earthquake. I still… have difficulty with them."

"It's okay," Phoenix replied. "She wouldn't just run off. She's probably at the Inner Temple."

Edgeworth nodded hesitantly. "Let's go look for her."

* * *

February 9

3:34 P.M.

Inner Temple Training Hall

It turned out that Iris was there, with a slight smile on her face. Behind her, Maya's cave door had gained four locks.

"What the hell is this?!" Edgeworth demanded.

Iris's expression faltered. "Oh… I don't know what happened…I just came here and there were all of these locks on the door… probably someone wanted to make sure that Maya couldn't escape."

"Can you unlock them?" Phoenix asked, his eyebrows knit together in worry.

"I… may be able to undo the first one." Iris replied, biting her lip. "These locks can be set in many different ways, so only the person who put them there would know the way to unlock it. I could try to unlock the others, but it would take more than a day, at least."

Edgeworth sighed and left the room, grumbling. Phoenix narrowed his eyes at Iris' calm expression.

"Okay, then. Let's talk about the night of the crime. You were seen in two different places at the same time, correct? Care to explain that?"

Apparently, Iris didn't. Phoenix groaned mentally as three Psyche-locks wove themselves around the nun.

* * *

February 9

3:37 P.M.

Inner Temple Garden

Phoenix followed Edgeworth's footprints into the garden, where the man in question was standing with his arms crossed and his back facing Phoenix.

"I meant to tell you earlier, Wright." Edgeworth began, not turning around, "During my investigation of the suspect, I was sure that I had met her before in court. However, my suspicions proved to be incorrect. The woman in question that reminded me of Iris has nothing to do with this particular case."

_'I wouldn't be so sure about that,'_ Phoenix mused, remembering that Edgeworth had encountered Dahlia Hawthorne, Iris' look-alike, in his first case.

"As for the current investigation," Edgeworth continued, "we must also name Maya as a suspect."

Phoenix sighed. He knew that it would come to this. _'Can't she ever get a break?!'_

"She didn't do it, Miles."

Miles looked over his shoulder at Phoenix, who had to admit to himself that the other man looked quite stunning in that pose. _'Wait. Not the point.'_

"I know, but you will have to prove it. Otherwise, there is nothing any of us can do."

Phoenix frowned. There was still something that was bugging him. "Are you sure you're all right, Miles? That was a pretty big earthquake earlier…"

Miles turned to face him, gripping his sleeve tightly. "Wright… I'm fine. I need to get over this phobia." The taller man gritted his teeth, and a worried crease appeared on Phoenix's forehead.

_'I wish I could just hug it out with him, but from the looks of it, he wouldn't appreciate that.'_

"Don't punish yourself," Phoenix said instead, turning to leave.

"Thanks," he heard Miles mutter behind him.

Phoenix smiled.

* * *

February 9

3:45 P.M.

Heavenly Hall

"Oh, great," Phoenix muttered as he walked toward the Heavenly Hall, where he saw Larry and Pearl sitting on the ground and loudly bemoaning their status as "failures".

"Just what I need."

Larry looked up, his eyes glinting suddenly. "Hey, Nick. Sorry about this… we're just having a little group therapy session. 'Failures Anonymous', we call it. Care to join?"

"What?"

"Not that hard, Nick. Goes like this." Larry stood up and cleared his throat. "Hi. My name is Laurice, and I'm a failure."

"Hi, Larry," Phoenix and Pearl said, Phoenix rolling his eyes.

"See, you're getting it!"

Phoenix sighed. "This is a blatant rip-off, Larry."

"So what?" Larry retorted, grinning slightly. "By the way, I got a new idea for my book, Franny's Whip-Lash Splash! I decided to make her have a rival for the status of 'hero of the city'!"

"And who would that be?" Phoenix asked dryly, deciding to humor Larry for the time being.

"Fantastic Nick and his two-inch di-"

"Larry!" Phoenix hissed. "There's a kid here!"

Larry chortled. "Oh, so I guessed right on the size!"

Phoenix swore that he felt a vein throb on his temple. "_No_, you did not! Now shut up!"

"Mr. Nick, what did Mr. Butz mean by your 'two-inch dick'?"

Shit.

Phoenix nervously turned to face a curious Pearl. "Uhh… Detective Gumshoe's first name is Dick, so I would be going around with my tiny little minion, Detective Gumshoe."

Pearl smiled. "How'd he get to be so small?" Behind Phoenix, Larry was rolling around on the snow, screaming with silent mirth. Phoenix shot him a dirty look.

"I don't know. _Laurice_ here needs to come up with that part of the plot."

"I can't wait to read it, Mr. Butz!"

Larry's ribs creaked ominously while he attempted to contain his hysterical laughter. "I'll get started right now," he choked out, running inside the Heavenly Hall.

Phoenix smacked his face into his hands a few times before turning to Pearl. "So what's up with you, Pearls?"

Her expression quickly grew solemn. "Mr. Nick, what do you think of Mr. Butz's drawing?"

Phoenix pulled out Larry's picture of a figure flying over the flaming Dusky Bridge. "What, this? It's kind of… weird…"

"See?" Larry yelled from inside Heavenly Hall. "He doesn't believe me either! Nobody takes me seriously!"

"I feel kind of bad for him," Pearl continued. "I'm the only one who believes him… if he says that Iris flew, then I think she did."

"…Okay. Let's talk about you now. What exactly _were_ you doing at the Inner Temple?"

Pearl bit her lip as five Psyche-locks appeared around her. "Um… I… I seem to have lost my powers, Mr. Nick." Then she fell silent.

"What do you mean by that?" Phoenix asked, hoping that the answer would shed some light on the reason for Pearl's Psyche-locks.

"I tried to summon somebody last night," Pearl began.

"While you were at the Inner Temple?"

"Yes. But… I failed. I'm not sure why…" Pearl began to cry. "Th-that's why I'm a… f-failure… I can't help you any more…"

"Pearls, it's okay! I'm sure your powers will return!" Phoenix soothed frantically. _'How odd… Pearl has always been a very strong medium… why would her powers disappear suddenly?'_ "Who was it that you tried to summon?"

Pearl shook her head. "…I can't tell you, Mr. Nick."

Crap. There went that approach.


	19. Chapter 19

Eyyyy :)

Finals are coming up - boo. Studying is such a pain. I need to get over my procrastinating habit... by posting another chapter. Wait.

Anyways. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 19

February 9

4:02 P.M.

Hazakura Temple Main Hall

"So Iris is Morgan's daughter?" Phoenix asked, staring at Bikini in disbelief. He remembered Morgan Fey quite well, and how she tried to kill Maya, her niece, in order to ensure her daughter Pearl's place as the Master of Kurain Village.

"Yes. Morgan had three daughters: Pearl, Iris, and Iris' twin sister. Morgan's husband realized that Morgan would never become the Master, so he took the two older girls and became a jeweler. Then he sent Iris up here and remarried. I'm not sure what happened to her sister."

Something clicked in Phoenix's brain. _'That explains a lot.'_

* * *

February 9

4:30 P.M.

Inner Temple Garden

Phoenix, a little out of breath from all of his walking, entered the garden. "Edgeworth!"

Thankfully, Edgeworth was still in the garden. He turned around, noticing Phoenix's urgent tone. "Yes, Wright?"

Phoenix grinned a bit. "I've got it. Bikini just told me that Iris has a twin sister."

Edgeworth's eyes widened. "So that must mean…"

"She must be…"

"Dahlia Hawthorne," they said together.

"So it really was -?" Edgeworth demanded. Phoenix laughed darkly.

"Remember when I said that I had a girlfriend in college?" he reminded Edgeworth, who cringed mentally at the memories of the "trial" and the events following it.

"I'm so sorry, Wright… when I saw that you were caught up in that murder case five years ago…"

"Yeah. She used me to get rid of some poison she had… and then she tried to kill me to get it back. Nearly succeeded, too."

Edgeworth growled, and Phoenix took a step back. The prosecutor's mind was whirling. "She can't be connected, though… there's no way," he forced out. "She's already dead."

"What?" Phoenix gasped. Although he had been expecting it, the news was still a bit of a shock.

"But of course, Wright. She was executed last month…"

"Oh…"

"And I'm sorry I missed her execution," Edgeworth muttered, low enough for Phoenix not to hear.

"What was that?" Phoenix asked. "I didn't hear that last bit."

Edgeworth said nothing, turning away quickly.

"Edgeworth?"

Miles Edgeworth took a deep breath. "Not now, Wright."

* * *

February 9

4:36 P.M.

Inner Temple Training Hall

"Iris?"

The nun turned around. "Oh!"

"We need to talk," Phoenix told her, grasping the Magatama. He nodded grimly when the Psyche-locks appeared once more. "I'll ask you again. What happened on the night of the crime?"

Iris blinked. "I don't know… I was in my room the entire night."

"I don't think so," Phoenix smirked. "Bikini saw you go to the Inner Temple that night." He sighed in relief as a lock shattered.

"Well…" Iris began. "I _did_ leave my room at about 9:40 that night to go to the Inner Temple… I remember that now."

Phoenix sighed. "No, Iris, you didn't. You said so yourself that you have to ring the bell at 10:00 every night. I saw you at that time, and you were _not_ at the Inner Temple." Another lock broke.

"H-how is that possible?" Iris asked him, nervously biting her lip. "You tell me!"

"There were two of you," Phoenix replied. Iris smiled shakily.

"That's not – how could that be? There's only one of me, and I'm right here! Can you prove that there were two of me?!"

Phoenix grinned fully now. "Yes, I can. The other 'you' would be your sister, Dahlia Hawthorne." His eyes narrowed in triumph as the final lock shattered into bits.

Iris bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut, a few tears threatening to spill out. "Mr. Wright… you must know that my sister is…"

"Yes, I heard."

"But she didn't do anything wrong! Dahlia always does the right thing. I… I betrayed her, Mr. Wright. I know that I may be found guilty, but…"

"You betrayed her?"

"Eleven years ago… I planned what happened at Dusky Bridge, but I grew afraid and ran away. If I hadn't done that… Dahlia started to commit crime after crime… after that day, all because I betrayed her. Our father… Dahlia wanted revenge on him."

"Revenge?"

"My father married my mother, Morgan Fey, because he thought that she would become the Master of Kurain Village. However, when her sister became the Master instead, my father left my mother and took my sister and me with him. I did not fit in with my new family, so I came here to Hazakura Temple."

"I see. One more thing. Did your sister ever mention… a college student that she was going out with?" He had to know. He needed to know the truth about five years ago.

"Um… she did say one thing."

"Yes?"

Iris stared intently at Phoenix. "She said that she hated his guts."

Phoenix winced. _'So everything really was a lie…' _ "Thank you, Iris."


	20. Chapter 20

Hey hey hey! So as apologies for the last tiny chapter, I bring you... an EPIC INSTALLMENT. Seriously, it's long. Finals are over and I have time to kill. :)

Also, you may notice that the trial dialogue is different from the actual game. I wanted to provide something fresh, with the same basic concepts, so it won't just be like reading a game script. Hopefully you'll enjoy my take on it.

Thanks for all the reviews! Glad everyone likes Larry!

Chapter 20

February 9

4:49 P.M.

Heavenly Hall

"Pearls."

"Y-yes, Mr. Nick?"

"Do you think you can tell me what you were doing on the night of the crime?" As Phoenix expected, the five Psyche-locks, chains rattling, surrounded the young spirit medium. He knew, though, that he had all of the evidence that he needed; he had found some very interesting clues.

Lip quivering, Pearl took a deep breath. "M-Ms. Elise and I were going to read some books together…"

"That's right, I remember," Phoenix mused, nodding. "Go on."

"But then I left… I was worried, so I had to go somewhere else."

Phoenix raised his eyebrows. "The Inner Temple, right?"

"Wh-why would I go there?"

"Because you were worried about Maya." The first of the locks shattered, and Phoenix whooped mentally. "What time did you go there?"

"I think… it must have been at around nine-thirty. I heard the bell ring when I reached the Inner Temple, so I probably arrived at around ten o'clock."

Furrowing his brow, Phoenix looked Pearl in the eye. "But wouldn't the bell have been hard to hear from so far away?"

"I – I heard it. I was listening really hard for it – I couldn't miss it for any reason!"

"I think I know why." Phoenix pulled a scorched piece of paper from his pocket. It was a letter addressed to Pearl, which he had found in an incinerator during one of his numerous treks around the area. "It says here to wait until the bell rings… and then I can't read much else," he admitted, laughing in embarrassment. Pearl gaped at him.

"Wow! You're really good, Mr. Nick!" she blurted, another lock shattering above her.

"This letter instructs you to channel somebody. If I remember correctly, you told me that you tried to channel a spirit that night?"

"Yes…"

Phoenix closed his eyes. "Dahlia Hawthorne. Am I correct?"

"Ah!" The third lock broke. Pearl studied her sandals. "You are correct, Mr. Nick… but I don't know who that person is. I've never heard of her."

_'She's your sister… but I shouldn't tell you that.'_

"That's… not important right now, Pearls. Who wrote this letter?" Phoenix asked, although he was pretty sure he knew the answer.

"Mr. Nick…"

"It must have been someone you respect very much. You made sure to follow these directions. Could the writer have been… your mother?" The fourth lock fell apart, leaving one left. "So your mother, Morgan Fey, left these instructions for you…"

"How do you know I followed them?!" Pearl cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You don't know that!"

"Maybe not, but I do know that a child followed these directions!"

"What?!"

_"Ms. Elise, could you help me read this word?"_

_ "Gravely. That is a very tough word."_

_ "And this one?"_

_ "That's also a hard one. Roast."_

_ A wall scroll hanging in the Inner Temple, depicting the Master of Kurain… the figure's elegant visage obscured with gravy…_

_ 'Who could have done this?'_

"You misunderstood the instructions, Pearls. When you asked Elise Deauxnim about the words "gravely" and "roast" in this part here: 'Gravely roast the Master…'" Phoenix read from the burned letter. "I found a wall scroll that had a picture of the Master… and it was covered in gravy! Elise Deauxnim told you what the words say… but she never told you what they mean! And that is where your error lies!"

The last Psyche-lock disappeared.

"A-all right, Mr. Nick… after dinner, I took some gravy over to the Inner Temple. I didn't want to interrupt Mystic Maya's training, so I waited outside. I-I fell asleep, and when I woke up, the bridge was gone! I burned the letter and covered the scroll in gravy… I'm so sorry, Mr. Nick! I'm a bad girl!"

"It's okay, Pearls…"

"And when I heard the bell, I tried to channel that person, but I couldn't do it! My powers must be lost! I keep trying and trying, but it's not working!"

"Are you sure? There's no other possibility?"

"Well," Pearl sniffled, "there is one, but it's very unlikely. It's possible that someone else was channeling the same spirit at the time. After all, there is only one of that spirit."

"Yeah, Nick! You can't go after a beautiful girl if she's already taken!" Larry interrupted. "Just like that!"

"…You're not helping."

"Mother said I could help the Feys by following a letter th-that she hid at home… I only wanted to help Mystic Mayaaaa!" The young girl broke down completely, grasping Phoenix's jacket and sobbing into his stomach.

"Is there anything else about the letter?" Phoenix asked, making small shushing noises and rubbing Pearl's back comfortingly.

"There was a picture of the lady I was supposed to channel… but something was w-weird! The letter was already open... the seal was broken."

_'That's odd…'_

"Ha….! Trite."

Phoenix raised his eyes. Godot stood in front of him.

"It's no use."

"What?!"

"Everything will be settled tomorrow. You failed to protect both sisters, and I will defeat you… for Mia's sake."

* * *

February 10

9:39 AM

District Court; Defendant Lobby No. 1

Phoenix paced around the lobby nervously. Where was Iris? How could he defend her if she wasn't even there? _'This job is bad for my heart…'_

"If you're wondering where your client is, she's in the Prosecutor's Lobby."

Phoenix spun around, meeting the cool gaze of his rival and love interest. "Eh?" he asked intelligently. "Why?"

"She's going to testify, Wright. The prosecution is pushing for a confession."

_'So Franziska would go to these lengths to defeat me?…'_

"I see what you're thinking. The prosecution is not Ms. von Karma. You will be facing Godot." Phoenix nodded slightly. It made sense. After all, he was supposed to be the original prosecutor for the case. "Franziska," continued Edgeworth, "is currently working on something much more important."

Pearl gasped. "You mean…"

"Yes. She has been up all night working on the trick locks. Hopefully, they will be removed within several hours."

The young girl smiled. "Ms. von Karma is nice after all, isn't she?" Phoenix, however, was too deep in thought to answer her. He needed three things answered: How did Misty Fey end up in the courtyard? What did Larry's drawing mean? And what was Morgan Fey's goal in all of this?

* * *

February 10

10:00 AM

District Court; Courtroom No. 7

"This court is now in session for the trial of Iris of Hazakura Temple."

Edgeworth, sitting in the gallery overhead, raised a single eyebrow. Where was the judge from yesterday, the one with the yellow beard and Canadian dialect?

"My brother caught a bit of a fever, so I will be in charge of the proceedings today," the white-bearded, familiar judge continued. "Your opening statement, Mr. Godot."

As Godot began with some weird metaphor that made absolutely no sense, Phoenix's mind raced. He had no idea what the prosecutor was planning by making Iris testify. Of course she wouldn't confess!… Would she?

"We would like to call the defendant to the stand to testify. This will be her confession," continued Godot, smirking before taking a gulp of his ever-present coffee.

The crowd buzzed. Phoenix sweated.

"Let the defendant take the stand!" the judge declared.

Iris was escorted to the witness stand, fidgeting a bit with her sleeve. She took a deep breath. "I… wish to confess."

"You are confessing to the murder of Elise Deauxnim?!" the judge asked, shock engulfing his face.

"No. However… I did play a part in the cover-up. I carried the body to the courtyard, and stabbed it with the Shichishito."

Ignoring the uproar over this last statement, the judge declared that any previous testimony given by Iris was to be disregarded, as it had been a lie.

_'Damn it all!'_ Phoenix thought. _'This is bad!'_ He could only hope for something in Iris' testimony that would help him…

"I went to the Inner Temple that night and I saw it all happen in the garden," stated the nun. "I saw Mystic Elise strike Mystic Maya with her staff! While Mystic Maya was still stumbling, Mystic Elise moved in to deliver a fatal strike! Mystic Maya tried desperately to defend herself and stole the weapon…! It was only in self-defense!" Iris pleaded. "You can't blame her for it!"

"I see… so you are naming Maya Fey as the criminal! A strange turn of events indeed. Mr. Wright, please begin your cross-examination."

"Thank you, Your Honor. Iris, you say that Miss Deauxnim moved in to deliver a 'fatal strike'?"

"Yes. She threw down her staff and took a dagger out from her robes."

"Hmm…" Phoenix rubbed his chin.

"Is there a problem, Trite?" Godot said, the mocking tone of his voice evident to all but the most unobservant of people.

"Yes, there is one thing…" Phoenix muttered. "Iris, can you add that to your testimony, please?"

"Of course. She threw her staff away and pulled a dagger from inside her robe, like I said."

"Objection!" interrupted Phoenix. _'I knew it! Something was wrong there!' _"Iris, take a look at this." The defense attorney pulled out the victim's wooden staff.

"That belonged to Mystic Elise, right?"

"Correct. However, this staff has a unique feature." Dramatically, Phoenix withdrew the hidden sword from the staff, causing Iris to flinch. "Do you see where I'm going here? Why would the victim abandon her staff when there is a perfectly good weapon inside it?"

"Objection!" protested Godot, his visor flashing. "A sword is hardly the proper weapon of choice for close combat. Precisely why she would choose a dagger: it is less unwieldy and easier to manipulate. There was no need for such a large weapon."

"Maybe so, Mr. Godot, but there's something else wrong with this scenario. You see, Elise Deauxnim is actually Misty Fey, Maya Fey's mother! Why on Earth would she attempt to murder her own daughter?!"

"Wh-what?!" Iris blurted out. Godot, too, looked incredulous.

"Is that so, Trite?"

"It is," Phoenix replied, nodding. "Therefore, there is no way – " He stopped when he noticed Godot smiling and shaking his head.

"I am so sorry, Trite, but that proves nothing."

_'Are you kidding me?!'_

"This morning, I sent Detective… Gymshoe, was it?… to the crime scene. There, he discovered a dagger embedded in a tree. There are bloodstains on the tip of the dagger."

"It's Gumshoe, pal!"

"Whose blood is it?…" Phoenix asked, dreading the answer.

"Unfortunately, there was no time to test it, but it is likely that the blood is that of the victim." Godot produced the dagger, which the judge inspected.

"The court accepts this evidence," he proclaimed. "This does seem to verify the witness' testimony; however, there are still some loose ends to tie up. Please testify about the actual moment of the struggle you observed!"

"Yes, Your Honor. Mystic Maya stumbled briefly after being hit over the head with the staff… But then she dodged Mystic Elise's next attack and stole her weapon. Suddenly Mystic Elise was the one on the defensive, with her back to the stone lantern. That's when Mystic Maya stabbed Mystic Elise! Mystic Elise managed to fling the knife away… but then… Then… she collapsed," Iris finished, fighting back tears.

Phoenix smirked. The contradiction was easy to see, and he immediately pounced on it once the cross-examination began.

"If I may review the cause of death with the court," he stated, pulling out the victim's autopsy report, "the victim was stabbed. In the back."

"Yes, that's right," Iris confirmed.

Phoenix shook his head. "Wrong. You testified yourself that Maya stabbed the victim when she had her back against the stone lantern! Now tell me, how is that physically possible?!"

"Ahhh! Um… I…"

"Objection! The garden was very dark when the witness saw the murder!" Godot interjected.

"Objection! There's a lantern _right there!_"

"Objection! I happened to speak with Sister Bikini, who told me that the lantern

was impossible to light that night! Although that stone lantern is usually lit when acolytes are training, the lantern remained unlit on that night! Your Honor," Godot continued, "here is a photograph of the stone lantern."

The judge inspected it. "What's this?!" he gasped. "There's something written there! It looks like… blood!"

"What?!" Godot pulled out his own copy of the photo. "There's nothing written there at all!"

"It says 'Maya' upside down on the lantern!" the judge argued.

Iris brought a loosely clenched fist to her mouth. "Excuse me…"

"Yes, what is it?" questioned the judge.

"I remembered something. Mystic Elise… she could have been alive long enough to write 'Maya' on the lantern before she collapsed…"

"Has everyone gone insane?!" Godot burst out, furious. "That lantern is as clean as a whistle!"

"You… don't see it?" Phoenix asked, planting his hands and leaning on the bench.

"Of course not! Because there's _nothing there!_"

_'Why can't Godot see the bloody writing?… He said something about that yesterday, too…'_

The prosecutor in question turned back to Iris. "Regardless, witness, you did do something after the murder. Testify about that."

Iris nodded. "After Mystic Elise died… I called out to Mystic Maya. I thought it was my duty to protect the future Master of the Kurain Tradition. So I removed the body from the Inner Temple by myself… I dragged it behind me all the way across Dusky Bridge." She took a breath. "Then I used the snowmobile to carry it back to Hazakura Temple and… I used the Shichishito to alter the way the wound looked."

"Very well, Mr. Wright. You may begin."

Phoenix, however, stared at the nun intently for several seconds. _'It sounds like… she's trying to pin the crime on Maya! But that can't be…' _

"So," he asked, "you used the snowmobile?"

"Yes. I had the key, so it wasn't hard to take the snowmobile up to the bridge."

'Hmm…' "About the tracks that you left… I believe they were shown in this photo?" Phoenix presented a photo of the snowmobile, parked in front of Hazakura Temple. One set of tracks trailed behind it. "There's only one set. Can you clarify for me why that is?"

"Of course," Iris agreed, smiling. "Snow was falling when I left, so the first set of tracks was covered up."

"Mr. Wright," the judge interrupted, turning to Phoenix, "is this really all that important?"

"It's very important, Your Honor."

"Witness, you will add this statement to your testimony," commanded the judge, after a moment's deliberation.

"About the snow?" The judge nodded, encouraging Iris to continue. "By the time the murder took place, the snow had already stopped."

Phoenix smiled kindly. "Thank you, Iris. You've been a big help."

Iris looked confused. "What?"

"Tell me again. How did you get the body across the bridge?"

"I dragged it behind me."

"That's what I thought you said," the defense attorney smirked. "Let me clarify. You've been a big help… at handing me contradictions."

"I beg your pardon?!" Iris retorted, an annoyed expression flashing through her eyes.

Phoenix pulled out the weather report that detailed the night of the murder. "You say the snow already stopped. Then you dragged the body across the bridge. However…" he paused for dramatic effect, "that is _impossible._"

"What?!"

"Snow stopped at 10:50. Dusky Bridge, if the court will please remember, caught fire that night… _at 10:45!_"

Iris' eyes widened.

"There is no way," Phoenix finished, "that the defendant could have dragged the body across the bridge to the Courtyard!"

"Objection!"

_'Will you stop that?!'_

"These contradictions are meaningless!" Godot argued, slamming his coffee mug on the bench in front of him. "The body was found in the Courtyard! Sister Bikini saw Iris staging the murder! Those facts are concrete! Therefore, the witness must have gotten the body across the bridge!"

"Witness, you will testify about this!" the judge ordered. "And tell the truth!"

"Okay…" Iris said, smiling daintily. "Other than walking over the bridge, there's no way to move the body. So I… must have just… gotten confused, I guess. Was the snow still falling or had it stopped…? Does it really matter that much?"

Phoenix didn't know why, but the smile on her face made him sick to his stomach. Something just didn't feel right.

"Or are you saying that there is a way to cross a burning bridge?" Iris continued.

"Thank you. Your Honor, here is a photograph of Dusky Bridge after it burned down," said Godot.

The judge looked at the photo. "Mr. Wright, you tried to cross this?!"

Phoenix sighed. Godot smirked.

"Go ahead with the cross-examination," the judge told Phoenix.

Shaking his head briefly, Phoenix raised an eyebrow at Iris. "I have only one thing to say. OBJECTION!"

The people in the gallery muttered amongst themselves.

"Might I bring your attention to this sketch, presented by one Larry Butz during yesterday's proceedings?" With a flourish, Phoenix produced the crayon drawing that depicted the flaming bridge, and a figure flying overhead.

"Th-that?!" Godot sputtered, choking on his coffee.

"Let's think about this a different way," Phoenix started. "Larry assumed that the person in this photo was the defendant. However… what if that figure is someone else entirely?"

"But you can't mean…" Godot interrupted.

"I do! I believe that this figure is, in fact, the body of Elise Deauxnim!"

The judge banged his gavel. "Mr. Wright! You'd better have a good reason for presenting this… _questionable_ evidence!"

"It seems that Trite never tires of his little 'turn the whole court on its head' game. One step at a time, Trite. Before you start making wild accusations, how about starting with the sketch if you're going to mix things up?"

Phoenix stared at him.

"What? I realize that I am quite handsome, but I don't swing that way. So sorry," Godot remarked, smirking.

"Wh-what?! No! I mean… that's it! This sketch… is a complete contradiction!"

"Explain, Mr. Wright," commanded the judge.

"Simple. See these suspension wires above the bridge?"

Godot sipped his coffee. "And just how is that contradictory?"

"I believe you submitted the proof yourself, Mr. Godot. If I may bring your attention to the photograph of Dusky Bridge… and the suspension wires _below_ it?"

The judge did a double-take. "Aah!"

Phoenix, feeling pretty good about himself, continued on. "Larry Butz stated that he was lying on his back in the Heavenly Hall. Therefore, when he heard the noise and looked over at the bridge… he flipped his head upside-down!" Snatching up the sketch, Phoenix turned it 180 degrees and slammed it down on the bench in front of him, resisting the urge to yell "BAM" as he did so. "_This_ is what really happened, Your Honor! The body is not flying _over_ the bridge, but rather falling _underneath_ it! Of course, the body ended up on the other side… which shows that a pendulum was used to transport the body from one side to the other!"

"Objection! You would need a rope to make a pendulum… a rope at least 10 meters long to cross that 20-meter gap!"

"Objection! Of course there was a rope!"

"Objection! Show some proof!"

"Look again at the photograph, Mr. Godot! Notice how one of the wires is disconnected and swinging below the bridge?!"

"Objection! I admit that there is a possibility… but you lack proof! How do you know that the scenario that you have set up is the truth?!"

Phoenix smirked, adrenaline rushing through his body from the heated arguing between himself and the prosecutor. "Very well. Let's say that a pendulum was used. In that case, the body would land around… here." He pointed at the diagram of the area around Dusky Bridge. "This was precisely where the crystal sphere, which was originally on Ms. Deauxnim's staff, was found. Additionally, the height difference between the "Inner Temple bank" and the "Heavenly Hall" bank is about… ten feet. If you would please examine the autopsy report, you will note that the body was dropped from a height of ten feet. Hardly a coincidence, Mr. Godot."

Taking an enthusiastic gulp from his coffee mug, Godot smirked back at Phoenix. "Good for you, Trite. But surely, this crime could not have been committed alone. If such a pendulum were used, someone would have to be at the other side to catch the body."

"You're correct, Mr. Godot!" the judge exclaimed. "Mr. Wright! Please fill us in! Just who was this accomplice?!"

Phoenix closed his eyes, deep in thought. "It can only be you…" he began. His blue eyes snapped open, and he turned to the witness stand. "Sister Iris."

"Huh?…." Iris responded. "Aaaaah! But… I…"

"Why are you so surprised?" Phoenix asked. "The only way to transport the body from the bridge to the courtyard was by snowmobile. Sister Bikini has a bad back – she would never be able to pick up a dead body. Furthermore, you have the keys to the snowmobile."

"Objection! Have you forgotten, Trite, that this little cutie pie was at the Inner Temple at the time?"

"Objection! I haven't forgotten… but have you, Mr. Godot? This witness was also seen at Hazakura Temple… desecrating the corpse of the victim."

"Hmm…" remarked the judge. "Strange indeed… It's almost as if… on that night, the defendant was in two different places at the same time!"

Phoenix turned his attention back to the young woman on the witness stand. "…Sister Iris. Let me ask you something… Why didn't you mention the pendulum when you first gave your testimony? Using this sketch, which was drawn by an eyewitness… I have established how the body was moved. You should have already known this fact."

"N-no!… I… I had no idea!" Iris cried, her brow furrowing. "I-I didn't know anything about a pendulum!"

"But you should have known about it! The body couldn't have been passed along to the other side without your help! It would be impossible for you to be clueless about this whole thing… unless…" _'HOLY SHIT! This can't be happening! Could it be?!…' _Phoenix took a deep breath. "Unless you're not really Iris to begin with." The more he thought about it, the more positive he was that he was right. _'Now I just have to lure her out.'_

Iris gasped. "What…!? H-how can you say that, Mr. Wright…?"

The judge glared at Phoenix. "What…!? What kind of nonsense is this? You… You're saying this witness isn't Iris of Hazakura Temple…?"

"Objection! A-are you serious, Trite…!?" Godot slammed his coffee mug on the prosecutor's bench, some of the dark bitter sloshing over the rim. The white-haired man clenched his teeth, apparently having caught on to Phoenix's train of thought. "You… You mean… Th-this woman is…"

_'There's no one besides Iris that could have received the corpse that night! Now I get it…'_ Phoenix's stomach gurgled unpleasantly. _'Now I know why I've been sick to my stomach during this trial. Why her whole demeanor changed so suddenly from yesterday… and why she's trying to pin this murder on Maya…'_ He straightened, flung out an arm, and pointed at the defendant. "The woman that's standing there at the witness stand… Her real name is…!" _'Damn it… damn it!'_

Up in the gallery, Miles Edgeworth cursed. He could see Phoenix's right hand trembling, safely hidden behind the defense's bench. _'Damn it all! Why did she have to come back to haunt him?!…'_

"I never thought I'd have to utter your name again," Phoenix's suddenly cold voice rang out, interrupting Edgeworth's thoughts. "let alone see you. It's been a long time… Dahlia Hawthorne."


	21. Chapter 21

Long chapter. Long long LONG chapter. Although it's mostly just trial stuff, I did take a few liberties. There's one scene in there that definitely did NOT happen in the game.

Hope someone is still reading this... :P

Enjoy!

Chapter 21

February 10

12:45 PM

District Court

Courtroom No. 7

A hush fell over the courtroom after Phoenix's announcement.

"Hawthorne?…" the judge finally asked.

"Sister Iris had a twin sister," Phoenix explained. "And you're looking at her. Miss Dahlia Hawthorne."

A spark of recognition flew into the judge's eye. "Ahh… that name rings some bells… distant bells, but bells nonetheless."

Godot shook his head. "Ha…! It's just your imagination, Gramps. Here is the file on Dahlia Hawthorne."

Upon receiving the think stack of papers, the judge flipped through each page thoughtfully, staring intently at the photograph of the smiling, red-haired beauty. "…Oh yes, I remember now… That case, five years ago…" He trailed off, lost in memory. "But according to this…" he said, turning to a page of the document, "Dahlia Hawthorne… is already dead! It says… her execution was carried out last month!"

"…So what?"

"Mr. Godot?"

"Death has no meaning in this courtroom!"

The gallery muttered, each person expressing bewilderment.

"Order! Order! Order!"

"W-wait a moment!"

Everyone turned to look at the young woman on the witness stand.

"How can you…? My sister…! She's already dead!" Iris exclaimed, tearing up slightly. "Wh-what kind of…?"

"OBJECTION! You should already know! The blood of the Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique flows through that body!"

Brow furrowed, the judge mused, "Kurain… Channeling Technique? I've heard that before…"

"Correct, Your Honor. This woman is not Dahlia Hawthorne herself, but the spirit of Dahlia inhabiting a spirit medium's body!"

"Trite," interrupted Godot, "An exciting story, but quite impossible."

_'Just listen to what I have to say for once!'_

"You expect us to believe that Dahlia Hawthorne, on the very night of the murder, just happened to be channeled to a temple where her twin sister, Iris, was…?"

Phoenix nodded.

"And we're supposed to believe a coincidence like that just happens?"

"Of course not. This whole thing was planned! I have a set of instructions here that detail the entire murder plot!"

Iris gasped. "Ah…! Wh-what's that…!"

"These instructions were written by your mother, Morgan Fey! Part of the plan called for Dahlia Hawthorne to be channeled! That night… there were two Irises at Hazakura Temple!"

Godot choked on his mouthful of coffee. "T-two of them?"

Nodding once more, Phoenix pointed at a spot on the instructions. "Even the time of the channeling was planned out. It says 'as soon as you hear the lights out bell'… in other words, 10:00 PM. However, Iris was seen before dinnertime."

"Which means that the Iris at dinner was the real Iris," the judge responded, closing his eyes in deep thought.

"Correct. The Iris who gave me this hood was also the real Iris," Phoenix expanded, pulling out the white hood. "Which means that the Iris that Sister Bikini saw was someone pretending to be her… namely, one Dahlia Hawthorne!"

"Objection! Do you hear yourself talking, Trite? True, you found plans that talked about channeling the spirit of Dahlia Hawthorne; however, there is no question that this witness is the real Iris!"

"Whaaaaat?"

"Calm down. Remember what you know about the night of the crime. After meeting Sister Bikini, the spirit of Dahlia Hawthorne would have been stranded at the Inner Temple after the lightning strike. Later, the body was moved by pendulum."

Phoenix blinked. "And…?"

"So naturally," Godot continued, "the one who received the body was the real Iris. Are you with me so far?" Upon Phoenix's affirmative nod, the coffee-loving prosecutor drew a breath and spoke once more. "When the police were called, they came to the Main Hall of Hazakura Temple. There, they found Iris in her room and arrested her. Ever since, she's been under police supervision at the detention center."

"I… suppose…" _'Crap! I can't deny any of that!'_

Iris sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. It looks like he's finally convinced…"

_'Something's off… way off! I'm still not convinced that this Iris here is the same one from the other night!'_

"Ha…!" came a derisive laugh from Phoenix's opponent. "I suppose you're going to say something completely ridiculous, such as 'the defendant and Dahlia Hawthorne switched places'?"

"S-switched places?" the judge exclaimed. "I don't claim to understand this talk about spirits, but I do know that we can't continue this trial until we verify the witness's identity!

_'Iris can't have channeled Dahlia. She doesn't have the spiritual power,'_ mused Phoenix_. 'Which means the two must have switched places!'_

"Well, Mr. Wright? Was there any opportunity, from the time Iris was arrested until now, for her to switch places with the spirit of Dahlia Hawthorne?"

Phoenix paused. "Your Honor… there might have been one chance…"

"Oh?"

"Yesterday, for a few minutes, Iris' whereabouts were unknown."

Godot took a harsh gulp of his coffee. "What do you mean, Trite?"

"Meaning, of course, that the defendant had an opportunity to move about freely, unsupervised."

The judge's brow furrowed. "Who is responsible for this? Who would give a murder suspect time to move about freely like that?"

Unhappily, Phoenix sighed. _'I'm sorry… I know you didn't mean to… It wasn't your fault…'_ He hated to bring up things like this in front of the man who was surely sitting in the gallery, watching the entire thing. "It was… Miles Edgeworth."

"Mr. Edgeworth? I don't believe it!" the judge cried, shaking his head in astonishment.

"There was a fairly large earthquake yesterday at Hazakura Temple. Mr. Edgeworth has… difficulty with such earthquakes. He became distracted, and accidentally allowed Iris to escape. Naturally, after the earthquake ceased, Mr. Edgeworth and I went directly to the Inner Temple to find the defendant. Iris was already there… however, the two had already switched places by that point in time. I was met at the Training Hall by none other than Dahlia Hawthorne!"

"That's enough, Mr. Wright!" the judge interrupted, banging his gavel. "Now see here… no judge in his right mind would consider the idea of 'spirit channeling' and…"

"Be quiet."

The judge's reprimand ceased. A hush fell over the courtroom as all eyes turned to the defendant, who was lazily flicking her hair.

"It's been a long time… Mr. Judge," the girl continued, stopping her hair-flicking and smiling gently.

"Th-that voice…!" The judge knew that voice. Sweet, yet clipped and commanding whenever its owner felt agitated. Innocent, yet disdainful and aloof. Melodious, yet jarring, and somehow ugly. It was as if the voice completely changed with its owner's mood.

And there was no question to whom that voice belonged.

"Guess I'll have to ask again," Godot remarked. "Upon meeting a beautiful lady, always ask for her name and profession. That's one of my rules."

Flick. "Dahlia Hawthorne. And my current profession?" A wry smirk. "Permanently retired."

"Ha…! So you're not going to bother hiding your identity anymore, huh?"

A slow blink. "…Why should I? After all, I'm dead." Phoenix's eyes widened as the black-haired Dahlia's face twisted into an evil grin. "There's really nothing you can do to punish me!"

"Wh-what is going on here?" sputtered the judge.

_'Dahlia Hawthorne… I never thought we'd meet again._

_ 'And I never thought we'd meet like this…_

_ 'But this time, I'll end it!_

_ 'For her, and for myself…'_

Phoenix clenched his fist. It was time to finally face his demons.

…

February 10, 1:06 PM

District Court

Courtroom No. 7

The court had erupted into such chaos that the judge was forced to call a short recess. Now that everyone had reassembled, he spoke again.

"…Now then, let's continue where we left off, shall we?" The old man took a deep breath, still in shock. "Well, witness?"

"Yes? How can I help you?" Dahlia asked, smiling innocently. "…Mr. Judge."

"Well… we'll need to hear your testimony if we're to learn the truth," the judge explained.

"…I have no problem with that," Dahlia acquiesced. "But when you've seen what I have," she continued, her facial expression hardening, "sometimes the truth is better left unknown."

Clearing his throat, the judge commanded, "Tell us about the plan that was carried out that night!"

Dahlia nodded. Phoenix noticed that her face seemed almost… troubled? _'Impossible.'_

"The whole plan began with my death." A sneer. "A stupid plan hatched by Morgan Fey to install her own daughter as the next Master. But for it to work… Maya Fey would first have to die. The idea was for me to kill Maya and then have the blame pinned on Iris. The plan went wrong…" Here Dahlia chuckled. "But it seems to have succeeded anyway."

The judge blinked. "So…"

"HOLD IT!" Phoenix interrupted. "Did you just say the plan was to kill Maya Fey?"

The deceased woman blinked apathetically at him. "Yes. You have a problem with that…?"

Phoenix growled. "Don't give us that nonsense! There's no way that – "

"Watch yourself, Trite!" Godot interjected, his own jaw clenching furiously. "If you've got a problem, solve it during the cross-examination! …That's my rule."

"That's my rule as well!" the judge agreed. Phoenix, however, paid no attention. He was still agonizing over what his ex-girlfriend had said.

_'To kill Maya? Could it be true?'_

As soon as the cross-examination started, Phoenix pounced. Dahlia had barely repeated her first statement before the defense attorney yelled, "Hold it! You were executed last month, correct?"

"Yes. I was hanged," came the reply. "It wasn't exactly… pleasant."

Godot smirked slightly into his cup of coffee. Phoenix continued, "How did you manage to discuss the plan? When did you talk with Morgan Fey?"

A tilt of the head accompanied the young woman's answer. "Last year, she was transferred to the same detention center as me. Since I was on death row and she was my mother… it was actually pretty easy to meet with her."

"So that's when you discussed the plan?" the judge asked.

Somehow, Dahlia managed to make even a snort sound ladylike. "…Ha! Are you crazy? At first, that woman was planning to kill me as well! …Even though I'm her own daughter," she remarked, her brow furrowing.

"All to make Pearl Fey the Master of Kurain…?" Phoenix confirmed.

For the first time that day, he observed Dahlia's normally gentle brown eyes cloud over with pure, unadulterated hatred. "She's a cold, twisted woman. She thought she could finally regain her lost honor. The honor she lost when her younger sister, Misty, took her place as the Master. Ever since that day, she's been working on this plan."

"The plan to put Pearl Fey as the next Master, correct?" inquired Phoenix.

"Yes," Dahlia affirmed, "though at first she had high hopes for the two of us."

"You and your twin sister, Iris?" Godot asked.

"That's correct. Fortunately," she smirked, "neither of us had much spiritual power. That's why… we were abandoned by her… along with our father."

"A-Abandoned…?" The judge's eyes softened a little. He had seen cases that had involved abandonment before. In every occurrence, the abandoned party displayed that same flash of resentment.

"The only person I ever really cared about in life was myself… My sister was a nuisance, so I convinced my father to leave her at an old temple."

_'That would be easy for her. She was always… quite persuasive,'_ Phoenix thought. "This would be Iris, correct?"

"…Yes, my father remarried a woman who also had a daughter. The less children you have, the more money there is to go around, right? And on top of that, my father had absolutely no interest in children in general," Dahlia responded wryly.

"H… How horrible…" the judge said, a little sadly.

"The real horrible one was that woman… That bitter, vengeful woman," Dahlia spat. "It was her stubbornness that gave birth to that child… Pearl Fey. She was born with an abundance of spiritual power." Here Dahlia smirked slyly. "Unfortunately for her. Morgan Fey heaped all of her broken hopes and dreams onto that poor child's back. All because of her pathetic dreams of having her bloodline become the main family."

"Hold it!" Phoenix yelled. "You said before that Maya would have to die for Morgan's plan to work? Why?"

"For our bloodline to succeed as the main family, thus making Pearl the new Master… the remaining descendants of the current Master had to be taken care of," Dahlia explained slowly, as if speaking to a small child.

"OBJECTION! Pearls would never agree to a plan like that! She adores Maya…"

Flicking her hair a few times more, the witness chuckled. "…How sad. You still don't get it, do you? What Pearl wanted had nothing to do with it."

"What?"

"Morgan didn't care one bit about Pearl. The only thing she cared about was the position of the Master. That's all."

"Th-That's ridiculous…!" Phoenix stammered.

"She was willing to sacrifice anything and anyone to achieve her goal. The life of her daughter… and naturally, the life of Maya Fey as well." Finished, Dahlia blinked and fixed the troubled young defense attorney with a cool gaze.

_'How could anyone do that…?'_

"The plan was for me to kill Maya and then have the blame pinned on Iris." Flick. Flick.

"Hold it! Y-You…? You were going to kill Maya?"

"Pearl didn't need to know anything about it. All she had to do was to follow the instructions in the letter and channel me… Then I would have simply used her body and finished the job. In any case…" Dahlia shot a grin, vicious and predatory, at Phoenix. "I'm already dead, and there's nothing any of you can do to me…"

Phoenix growled in response.

Godot poured himself another cup of coffee. "So the plan was to blame the crime on your younger sister. On Sister Iris of Hazakura Temple…"

"She and I look absolutely identical. No one can tell us apart," Dahlia answered. Godot coughed something that sounded suspiciously like "_hair color_", causing the dead woman to send an irritated glare in his direction. "If someone were to witness me killing Maya… naturally they would think it was Iris that had done it."

"And there was a witness… Sister Bikini," Godot remarked.

"I never would've guessed she was going to return to Hazakura Temple that night. But…" Dahlia mused. "She wound up seeing Iris' 'crime' anyway."

"Wait!" the judge interrupted. "Why would you even want to pin the crime on Iris in the first place? She's your twin sister!"

The channeled spirit scoffed. "Twin sister…! Don't make me laugh! She's nothing but a backstabber. I couldn't care less about her." She returned to flicking her hair disdainfully.

Phoenix swallowed. "Backstabber…?"

Dahlia didn't even look at him. "…You just don't understand… You never will. Anyway… like I said, the plan went wrong, but it seems to have succeeded anyway."

"Hold it! You think the plan was a success?"

"You heard me." Dahlia rolled her eyes. "Just as that woman had hoped… Maya Fey is dead. Now the title of the Master will pass on to Pearl Fey."

_'No… no!'_ "OBJECTION! Maya isn't dead! She's just trapped! Trapped inside the Sacred Cavern!"

"Really…?" Dahlia retorted. "You're as foolishly optimistic as ever, aren't you…" She smiled. "my darling Feenie?"

Phoenix froze. That one pet name brought back a barrage of memories…

_'Feenie… I made you lunch!'_

_ 'I knitted you this sweater, Feenie.'_

_ 'You're such a sweetheart, Feenie.'_

_ 'Feenie, would you like to take a walk?'_

_ 'Feenie…'_

_ 'Dollie…'_

_ 'Feenie…'_

_ 'Dollie…'_

"Do you want to know the truth?" Dahlia continued in that _'too sweet, too innocent' _voice. "Ever since we met… I've despised you."

Phoenix flinched. He couldn't move, couldn't speak. It was like five years ago… all over again. He wanted to throw up.

"Your sniveling naïveté and your _pathetic_ faith in other people…"

"STOP IT."

Everyone whirled around to locate the owner of the voice. Shoving his way down the stairs to the gallery was none other than Miles Edgeworth. Fury emanated from him in a crushing wave that caused anyone in his way to move to the side instantly. Edgeworth stomped his way up to the witness stand, towering over Dahlia Hawthorne.

"Excuse me, but I believe I was talking… Mr. Edgeworth, yes? Your fashion sense hasn't changed much," Dahlia smirked.

"Shut up. How dare you… how _dare_ you!" Trembling with rage, Edgeworth sent his most powerful glare at the dead woman. "If you say one more word, I'll – "

"Mr. Edgeworth!" exclaimed the judge. "This is highly unprofessional behavior! I must insist you return to your seat!"

Edgeworth ignored him. Phoenix watched with astonished eyes as Miles grabbed Dahlia by one shoulder. Immediately, Dahlia grasped his hand with both of hers and dug her fingernails into the loose skin between his thumb and forefinger. Edgeworth winced.

"You care this much about that loser? Hmm?" Dahlia sweetly asked as she continued to pinch. Edgeworth brought his other hand up to shove her away, but Dahlia clamped down even more tightly, causing blood to well up around her nails before she released him. "How sad. I guess birds of a feather really _do_ flock together."

"M-Miles!" Phoenix gasped, as Edgeworth's wound began to drip onto the floor.

"Ugh… you… _bitch_…" Edgeworth muttered, clenching his injured fist. "You freaking _psychopath_…" She had gone clean through to the other side of the skin with that one pinch. It hurt more than he would care to admit.

Dahlia Hawthorne laughed. "Just as weak as little Feenie, hmm? Maybe even weaker – after all, that earthquake scared you enough to let my coward of a sister escape. I've been paying attention. But why, Mr. Edgeworth? There must be some _reason_ that a grown man such as yourself would be reduced to a disgusting wreck after just a little tremor."

Edgeworth froze.

"Did something happen, Mr. Edgeworth? You can tell me," Dahlia reassured him in the sweetest voice she could muster. A grin snaked its way across her face. "Were you hurt in an earthquake? Or did you… see someone die during one? Someone _close_, maybe?" At Edgeworth's pronounced grimace, and his subsequent trembling, she smiled wider. "Does it still _hurt_, Mr. Edgeworth? Do you _miss_ them? Did you _love_ them?"

"That's ENOUGH."

All eyes turned to Phoenix, who had abandoned the defense's bench. He pulled Edgeworth to the side and faced his ex-girlfriend, eyes fierce. "You can insult me all you want. But don't – you – DARE – hurt – him." He took in a shaky breath. "You brought up old memories – you made him _bleed_. I won't stand for it. Leave him the _fuck_ alone!"

"Or what, Feenie dear?"

"Just try it, Dahlia Hawthorne. I haven't devoted my entire freaking _career_ to one thing with the intention of letting you tear it down again."

Dahlia blinked, then snorted again. "Oh good _God_, don't tell me that _this_ is that guy you wouldn't shut up about when we first met? This… lacy pink excuse of a man? The one you wanted to save? Miles, Miles, Miles… that's all I ever heard! Such a bore. And all that drabble ended up to be about _him_?" She snickered. "If I didn't know better, _Feenie_ – "

"I think it's time we returned to our original cross-examination," Godot butted in, slamming his coffee cup down. Dahlia scowled at being interrupted yet again. "As entertaining as this is, I'm a busy man."

"Quite right!" agreed the judge. "I've never seen such a display in my courtroom! Ms. Hawthorne, you will cease this hostility! Mr. Edgeworth, you will return to your seat! Mr. Wright, you will return to the defense's bench! Bailiff, you will find a bandage for Mr. Edgeworth and clean up this mess!"

About five minutes later, everyone had returned to their proper places. Miles sported a bandage on his hand; he was seething. He had let that woman get the better of him, and he hated himself for it. Phoenix was somewhat shaken at the events. Godot had poured himself a fresh cup of coffee. Dahlia had wiped the blood off her index finger and thumb by rubbing the two digits against each other. The judge continued to just sit there.

"Now, if we can get back to where we were…" The judge looked at Phoenix, who paused before speaking.

"I just want to know one thing," he said, addressing Dahlia. "What did you personally think of Morgan Fey's plan?"

"I told you already, didn't I?" she responded. "It was a stupid plan. It had no point, no value other than fulfilling her own greedy desires… Yes. It was certainly nothing to be proud of."

"But if that's how you feel, then why did you help her?" Phoenix demanded. "Why would you kill Maya?"

"…You may not be able to understand, being the kind and gentle soul that you are… You may not be able to understand why I would help a woman like that."

"Then tell me! Why?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Dahlia sneered. "I'm not like that woman. I only act in my own self-interest. I helped her for myself… for my own personal satisfaction! That was the only way I could get my revenge."

"What?" Phoenix's eyes widened.

"Do you understand why I would kill Maya Fey now? What my goal was?" Dahlia asked him with a particularly impudent flick of her borrowed black tresses. Phoenix's brow furrowed.

_'Why would she have a grudge against Maya? What is the tie between her and Maya Fey? They had never met before… there must be a common link!'_

Suddenly, he knew.

"Your goal had nothing to do with Maya Fey at all, did it?" Phoenix asked. Dahlia chuckled, and Phoenix knew that he had guessed correctly.

"I did say that none of you have the power to punish me anymore, because I'm already dead. However… I had the same problem, you see. You can't punish the dead… or take revenge on them," Dahlia finished.

"You wanted to take revenge on someone?" the judge asked.

"I was sentenced to die because of that woman… Mia Fey." She spat the name out with such hatred that most people in the courtroom recoiled a little.

_'I knew it…'_ Phoenix thought to himself.

"I wanted to send her a message… I suffered my first humiliation at the hands of that woman. I wanted her to feel the same pain that she made me feel! Unfortunately," Dahlia sighed, "it was impossible, so I gave up."

"Because… Mia Fey was already dead," Godot stated.

"Exactly. And there's only one way to take revenge against the dead… even when the body dies, the spirit lives on. To get my revenge, I would kill the person that Mia Fey loved most, with my own two hands! That is why I helped that woman!" Dahlia declared, smiling triumphantly.

Phoenix slammed his hands on the bench. "Just for that, you would kill Maya? You're no different from your mother!"

"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, as they say," the judge agreed. "What a cruel, cold, heartless plan."

"Hmph!" Dahlia retorted. "Don't waste your time preaching to the dead. Like I said, there's nothing any of you can do to me." She smirked when Phoenix growled, deep in his throat. "That night, at about 9:30 P.M., I was channeled. I pinned my hair up and put on a demon-warding hood. Then I picked up the staff that was by my side and left Hazakura Temple."

_'So it was Elise Deauxnim who channeled her,'_ Phoenix realized, filing the information away in his head for later.

"…That ridiculous head nun never noticed a thing," Dahlia continued. "She left Maya Fey to me… and wobbled back clutching her poor old back."

"Wh-What did you do then…?" the judge asked, completely caught up in Dahlia's tale.

"That kid was easier to handle than I had hoped. I caught up with her in front of the stone lantern. Then I took out the dagger I got from the storeroom and…" She paused, letting the ghost of a smile appear on her face.

"Y-You s-stabbed Maya!" Phoenix exclaimed disbelievingly.

Dahlia frowned in response. "It's… funny, but I don't have a clear memory of what happened after that."

"What does that mean?" demanded the judge.

"I don't know…" Dahlia said, averting her eyes to the side. "I think… I think I was stabbed. Yes, at the last minute, Maya Fey must have stabbed me. I'm sure of it."

"Objection! Maya wouldn't stab a French fry with a plastic fork!" Phoenix protested.

Dahlia ignored him. "Anyway, I suddenly lost consciousness. Before I blacked out, I scrawled her name on the lantern, hoping it would cast suspicion on her. But that's… where my memory stops. I don't have any recollection of actually killing Maya Fey with my own two hands, like I had hoped. My last memory was… Maya's terror-filled eyes. When I woke up after that, I was in the Sacred Cavern, surrounded by darkness."

"The Sacred Cavern?" exclaimed the judge.

"…The entrance was sealed with a trick lock. I was trapped," explained the witness.

"But how did you get in there?" Godot asked.

"I'd like to know that myself. Anyway, I was worried… I didn't know whether or not Maya Fey was dead… and I swore I wouldn't return to the underworld until I knew I had killed her myself."

"For a ghost, you're one tough cookie," Godot remarked.

"I wanted to get out of there and make sure she was dead," Dahlia continued. "But… I couldn't do it. I couldn't get out. I didn't know how to remove the lock."

"So… you were actually confined against your will inside this Sacred Cavern…?" the judge clarified.

"Yes!" Dahlia sharply answered. "I wanted to get rid of that annoying lock as soon as possible… but I kept getting interrupted while I was working on it. Someone came into the Training Hall."

"Was it… Maya?" Phoenix demanded.

"I thought the same thing, but I couldn't see. If someone had spotted me, it would have been all over, so I hid myself at the back of the Sacred Cavern."

_'It must have been Pearls,'_ Phoenix thought. _'She did go there in the morning to cover the scroll with gravy.'_

"When I finally managed to remove the lock… it was too late," Dahlia sighed.

"What do you mean?" blurted Godot.

"…The flies had already started to gather."

"Meaning that the bridge had been fixed and the police had started their investigation?"

"I couldn't go out, so I returned to the cavern and put the lock back on myself. Unfortunately, I realized I wouldn't get a chance to see Maya's corpse, but just then… Lady Luck arrived." Dahlia's mouth curled upwards at the memory.

"Lady Luck…?" Phoenix questioned.

"After that big earthquake… she showed up, all by herself."

"By which you mean the real Iris, correct?" asked Phoenix.

"She said she'd come to make sure the Sacred Cavern was alright… Ha! Stupid girl. I came out from the Sacred Cavern and locked her away in my place. I learned that the plan… had actually succeeded."

"What do you mean?" said Phoenix, echoing Godot's outburst from earlier.

"I had misunderstood one thing, you see," Dahlia answered, an apathetic expression on her lovely face. "That night, the one that had summoned me… was not Pearl Fey. In fact, it was Misty Fey… the picture book author."

"Whaaaaaaaaaat?" cried the judge in astonishment.

"It's the only possibility, isn't it? After I lost consciousness in the garden, it was her body that was left lying there… I wasn't able to kill Maya Fey with my own hands after all, but I did make her commit the most vile sin a human can commit."

"Which is…?"

"Matricide," Dahlia smirked. "The sin of killing her own mother!"

"Ugggh… Noooooo way!" Phoenix buried his hands in his hair as the court exploded around him.

"ORDER! ORDER IN THE COURT!" The judge banged his gavel frantically. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I was the one who attacked Maya Fey, true… but the one who actually snuffed out Misty Fey's life was none other than…" Dahlia grinned maliciously. "Your darling little Maya!"

"OBJECTION! Th-that's… ridiculous!" sputtered Phoenix.

With a tilt of her head, Dahlia regarded the defense attorney. "Is it? Just think about it… there's even evidence supporting these facts, isn't there?"

"What…? What do you mean by that? Wh-what is this so-called 'evidence'?"

"The fact that Maya Fey has disappeared… is evidence enough, isn't it?" At Phoenix's puzzled stare, Dahlia continued. "There's no way she's in the Sacred Cavern; she wasn't even able to escape from the Inner Temple! There's only one place she could be."

"Wh-where?" the judge asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Dahlia's sinister grin widened. "At the bottom of the Eagle River, of course!"

"Ea-Eagle River?" Godot stammered.

"Maya Fey killed her long-lost mother," Dahlia explained, returning to her hair-flicking. "Can you imagine the guilt she must have felt when she realized that? That's why… she threw herself into the Eagle River. Most bodies that wind up in there… are lost forever." She paused. "So what do you have to say now… Feenie?"

Phoenix couldn't form coherent words. "….Ooooooh…. Uuuuhhhhh…." _'Maya… Maya… no…'_

Before Dahlia could twist the metaphorical knife in Phoenix's gut any more, a melancholy jazz tune sounded throughout the room.

"Sorry. My phone," Godot grunted, flipping the aforementioned device open. "Godot here… okay, thanks." With a small "beep", the call was ended.

"Was that something important?" the judge asked the prosecutor.

Godot nodded. "They just finished removing the locks from the Sacred Cavern."

"Th-that's great!" Phoenix grinned nervously. "What about Maya?"

A pause. "There was a woman in the cave…"

"Was it… Maya Fey?" the judge asked tentatively.

"It was the accused… Sister Iris."

Phoenix blinked. Dahlia shrugged.

"Don't look so surprised… I locked her in there yesterday. I just got finished telling you that."

"So where's Maya?" Phoenix asked Godot.

Another silence. With a heavy sigh, Godot said, "There was no one else found inside the Sacred Cavern."

Phoenix seemed to shrink into himself. "N-No… it can't be…"

"I told you, didn't I?" Dahlia gloated. "She's dead."

"No… !"

As Phoenix screamed in anguish, Miles Edgeworth clenched his fists. _'Maya…'_ He had held a certain fondness for the young woman, not only because of her cheerful demeanor (and her obsession with the Steel Samurai), but because she had saved his life two years ago. Her outburst in court, and her subsequent jailing, gave Phoenix an opening to prevent a guilty verdict against him. He had felt so… touched that someone whom he had treated with nothing but polite aloofness would put herself on the line like that for him. As thanks, he had posted her bail, and later, when she was kidnapped, he put every effort into finding her. She had meant a lot to Wright… and to himself as well.

And now, she was gone. Dead. Phoenix was not the only one mourning. Maya Fey had been a fine young lady, and he would miss seeing her around.

…

"It seems…" pronounced the judge, his eyebrows furrowing, "…that this case has come to an end… A tragic end… Sadly, it appears the killer of Elise Deauxnim, also known as Misty Fey…" He took a breath. "…was her own daughter, Maya Fey. Overcome with guilt for what she had done… Maya Fey jumped to her death into the raging waters of the Eagle River!"

_'It can't be…'_ Phoenix swallowed heavily.

"…Ha!…"

The blue-suited attorney lifted his head to look at the man across from him. What on earth could he have to laugh about?

"Trite… have you ever heard this one? 'Once you eliminate the impossible… whatever remains must be the truth.' No matter how improbable it may seem."

The judge stared for a moment. "Wh…What is that supposed to mean, Prosecutor Godot…?"

"According to this witness… Maya Fey threw herself into the Eagle River. However…" He took a sip of his coffee. "Is that really the truth?"

His words stunned Phoenix, who straightened a bit behind the defense's bench.

"Remember, Trite, that this woman testified earlier that the bridge was already on fire when the murder was taking place in the garden. Which means if Maya had thrown herself into the river… it must have been from the Inner Temple side, near the bridge."

"That's right!" Dahlia affirmed. "That's where she jumped from…"

"But that's impossible."

"What?"

"It's impossible to jump into the river from there!"

Phoenix straightened up completely. _'Wh-What? Really?'_

"Don't get your panties all twisted up, Trite," Godot chuckled into the rim of his mug. "Just relax and think through the whole thing again.

_'It's… impossible? Maya couldn't have thrown herself into Eagle River…?'_

"Well, Mr. Wright? Do you have any evidence that refutes Ms. Hawthorne's claim?" the judge asked Phoenix.

He thought for a moment. _'If what Godot says is true, then the proof must be somewhere in the evidence… OH!'_ "Your Honor, it is impossible to jump into the Eagle River from the Inner Temple side! No one knows that better than this witness!"

"What did you say…?" hissed Dahlia viciously.

"Eleven years ago, you jumped into the very same river!"

Dahlia flinched. "Ah… you've done your research…!"

"And, according to this overhead map, below the cliff on the Inner Temple side is a big rock shelf!"

"Oh… ooooh! Y-You're right!" the judge exclaimed.

"Ergo, she wouldn't have reached the river if she had jumped off from there! If she had jumped, we should be able to see her body in the photo of Dusky Bridge!"

"Ah!" cried Dahlia. "But… but!"

"Ha…! So you finally figured it out!" Godot smirked across at Phoenix.

"You…!" A muscle twitched in Dahlia's temple. "Noooooooooo!"

"Order! Order!"

"You… You're just playing with me! Maya Fey's body is at the bottom of the Eagle River! There's nowhere else she could _possibly_ be hiding!" Dahlia's breathing was becoming frantic; her facial expressions growing more and more frazzled. A few stray hairs escaped from the braids atop her head.

"Ms. Hawthorne," Phoenix smirked, "have you ever heard this one before? 'Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains must be the truth.'"

"Yes, just a few minutes ago," she gritted out.

"Maya Fey wasn't inside the Sacred Cavern, and we now know that she didn't throw herself into the Eagle River," mused Phoenix.

Godot nodded. "That eliminates all the most likely possibilities."

"Now…" Phoenix declared, "although it seems improbable, there's still one other place she could be."

"Wh…What…!" The judge was astonished. "What is this one possibility you are talking about…?"

"Th-That's obviously a bluff!" stammered Dahlia Hawthorne. "So where is her dead body then?"

_ 'You know… normally the living can't punish the dead. But I think… there might actually be a way to give Dahlia Hawthorne the ultimate punishment.'_ "Shall I tell you, Ms. Hawthorne?" Phoenix grinned triumphantly. "Shall I tell you where Maya is this very instant?" The entire court listened with bated breath. "Maya Fey is in this very courtroom!"

"Wh-What?" exclaimed Dahlia.

"M-Maya Fey is here?" Godot, too, seemed nonplussed.

"You say she's here in m-my courtroom?" Naturally, the judge had no clue either.

"…Dahlia Hawthorne," Phoenix began, "I seem to recall that you said… 'I had misunderstood one thing, you see.'"

"So what!" Dahlia snapped.

"But I think there's one more thing you misunderstood."

"What do you mean…?"

"Tell me something. At this very moment…" Phoenix stabbed his finger at the witness. "…Who is channeling Dahlia Hawthorne?"

Dahlia did a double-take. "Wh-Why that… that's obvious! It's Pearl Fey! That pathetic, little, sniveling runt!"

"…You're wrong," Phoenix told her. "Pearls tried… but she couldn't do it. She said that perhaps someone was already channeling you, and that's why she couldn't."

"Someone called me before Pearl did…? But who…?" Dahlia scrunched her brow, thinking hard.

"Pearls even tried again on the day after the crime. But she couldn't do it… what could that mean?" A spark in Dahlia's eyes caused Phoenix to smirk again. "I think the truth is becoming clearer to you right about now, am I correct?"

Total comprehension dawned in Dahlia's brown eyes. "…Aaaah!"

"It wasn't Pearls that channeled you! The one who called you… was Maya Fey!"

"Wh…WHAAAAAAAAAT?" shrieked Dahlia furiously.

"B-But how could that be? Dahlia Hawthorne's goal was…" sputtered the judge.

"To kill Maya Fey." Godot poured another cup of coffee.

"Yes… but if Maya channeled the spirit of someone that was trying to kill her… Oh… C-Could it be…?"

"It looks like you finally understand, Your Honor," said Phoenix.

"W-Well, I don't! What are you going on about?" Dahlia questioned impatiently.

"What I'm 'going on about' is the reason Maya channeled you… to protect herself from you!" Phoenix responded harshly.

"To… protect herself… from me?" It was clear that Dahlia still didn't completely understand.

"Yes. On the night of the crime, you were only interested in one thing. Killing Maya Fey! The path to the Inner Temple was closed off and there was nowhere for her to run. So then the problem became… 'Where would be the safest place to hide?'"

"Ah… Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" _'Good. She finally gets it.'_ "Y-You mean… That's when she channeled me…?"

"All along you thought you had been channeled by Pearls…" Phoenix expanded. "That's why it never occurred to you… that Maya's hiding place was you!"

Dahlia glared daggers at Phoenix. "N-No… No… DON'T SAY THAT!" she exploded. "Y-You're saying that I… was played for a fool? By that little whelp?" At Phoenix's smile, Dahlia seethed even more. "Maya Fey killed herself! Isn't it obvious?"

"Sorry, but no. It was impossible for her to jump into the river. This was the only way that Maya could disappear from the Inner Temple!"

"I-I don't believe you! A stupid little girl like that who has never been out in the real world… she could never have come up with a plan like that! Who could have ever given her such a brilliant idea?"

"Me, of course."

All heads turned toward the source of the new voice. Standing next to Phoenix was none other than Mia Fey, channeled by Pearl.

"M…Mia!" Phoenix exclaimed.

Dahlia's eyes bulged. An animalistic growl escaped her. "Mia Fey!"

Mia met her gaze evenly. "It's been a long time, Dahlia Hawthorne." She glanced over at the prosecution's bench, where Godot had frozen.

"…So it's true…" His fingers grasped his mug of coffee tightly. "It was you."

"…Yes," Mia responded.

Suddenly, Godot grinned. "Ha…! You're something else…"

"B-But what…" Dahlia interrupted, "what are you doing here…?"

"Tell me something, Dahlia…" Mia started. "I want you to think back to that night one more time. You had just cornered Maya in the Inner Temple's garden. And then… in the final moments of the fight, you lost consciousness."

"I was stabbed! By Maya Fey!"

"Actually," Mia smiled, "Maya lost consciousness at the same time as you. When she woke up, she was in the Training Hall. That's when she decided she needed help, and channeled me. She explained in a memo the situation she was in, and asked my advice."

Dahlia narrowed her eyes. "She did that? I can't believe it…"

"One thing was perfectly clear… I knew you couldn't be allowed to wander free. I wrote down two things that Maya had to do: channel Dahlia Hawthorne as soon as possible, and lock herself in the Sacred Cavern until help arrived."

_'So… it was Maya who put the lock on there,' _realized Phoenix.

"Yes, but why did you order her to do those two things?" asked the judge.

"If she hadn't," Mia responded. "Dahlia Hawthorne would have been channeled by Pearl Fey."

"P-Pearls?" Phoenix questioned.

"Yes. Pearl didn't understand the plan's goal; all she was trying to do was follow her mother's instructions. If she had succeeded…"

"Dahlia Hawthorne would have used the body of Pearl Fey to kill Maya at all costs," finished Godot.

"H-How dare you!" snarled Dahlia. "I-I won't forget this…!"

Phoenix grinned cheekily. "Why not just admit it?… Dahlia Hawthorne. Your little plan was nothing but a big failure."

"Another failure to add to the pile of shame, wouldn't you say?" added Mia.

"Wh-What do you mean by another?" demanded Dahlia.

"Think about it, Dahlia. Remember all your past crimes?" Phoenix asked her. "Not a single one of them was a success. They all ended in failure."

"What…? How dare you!"

"Eleven years ago… the fake kidnapping. Your very first crime. You got your hands on a two million dollar diamond. But… after Terry Fawles escaped and went to meet with Valerie Hawthorne… the truth was exposed."

"Sh-Shut your mouth!" Dahlia was trembling. "It was because of that stupid oaf of a prisoner and that weakling of a policewoman!"

"One year later," Phoenix went on, ignoring the wrathful woman on the witness stand, "you tried to kill me. I'm still alive, but you wound up killing someone else. And you were sentenced to death for it. One stupid move after another."

"You…! Wipe that smug, happy-go-lucky smile off your face…!" Dahlia spat, enraged.

"And now this! You've messed up again! You let Maya Fey escape, even though she was right there in front of you!"

"…Grr… Mmm… Nnnn… Grrr… Ahh!" A menacing aura filled the room. "M… M… Mia F… F… Fey… Mia Fey! Mia Fey! MIA FEEEEY! You… You… spinster!" Dahlia screamed ferociously. "I was supposed to kill Maya Fey like I swore I would! And if only you had gotten this spiky-haired jerk the guilty verdict," she pointed in Phoenix's direction, "I wouldn't have been hanged to death!"

"…True," Mia remarked. "But I think you finally understand, Dahlia Hawthorne. You will never defeat me."

"Wh-What…! What did you say!"

"Whether you're alive, dead, or somewhere in between, you will never defeat me," Mia reaffirmed. "As long as I'm around, you're destined to lose for all of eternity!"

Dahlia snarled.

"I remember what you said earlier in the trial," Phoenix added. "You said there was no way we could punish you, because you were already dead."

"What about it?"

"Then you said… 'Even when the body dies, the spirit lives on.'"

Mia chuckled a bit. "That's very true, Dahlia. And that's exactly the punishment you'll never be able to escape from. For all of eternity… you'll have to remain as Dahlia Hawthorne. A miserable, pathetic, weak creature who can never win at anything… and for you, there is no escape from that. No hope of freedom. Since the day you were executed… the narrow bridge that once stretched out in front of you has burnt to a crisp!"

Dahlia spasmed violently. "Y-You… OoOooOOh…" Her voice took on a different quality. A sort of raspiness punctuated her words, creating an eerie effect. "Y-You'RE… wROnG… It… CAN'T… be…" A shuddering gasp. "How… coULd… I… loSe… to… The… likES… of… YOU…?"

"It no longer matters!" Phoenix bellowed. "I don't care whether you win or lose anymore! The only thing I want –" he flung out an arm, pointing at Dahlia once more, "is for you to come out of Maya's body right now!"

Dahlia hunched over, grasping her head. "…."

Suddenly, a shrill scream pierced the air as a red-haired shadow flew out of the body on the witness stand. "!"

The lights seemed to dim as the shadow struggled to remain in the mortal realm. A mystical blue fire surrounded her as her fiery hair flailed wildly, tossed by an invisible wind. Her eyes gleamed through the darkness as her hands clutched at the air in front of her. "I'M… NOT… READY… NOT… READY… TO… GO…"

The spirit disappeared in several bursts of green flame. The lights came back on, revealing none other than a severely weakened Maya Fey, her eyes closed.

"…Nick… Sis…" she whispered.

Then she collapsed.


End file.
